Interest Check Thread

Hosted Games Works In Progress
5458

Welcome to the community @Zaxwlyde.

To get your post through a system issue, I had to temporarily edit out and then later replace your poll.

The post edit issue is part of this system issue with the forum software as well.

I’m not sure your specific concern of using the opening tag on an unknown IP applies to the niche that Interactive Fiction (IF) is in today’s market … whatever you do decide, titlewise, should be embraced either way, especially within the CS community.

Edit: One suggestion I do have considering mechanics and systems is to look at various examples that have succeeded prior before going too far down the developmental road.

1 Like
5459

Thank you for the quick response! I’m sorry about that. I didn’t realize I needed line breaks to make the post much better in format. I had made a separate post as I was unsure how to capture a mod’s attention on it pre-your response by a few seconds, that could be deleted and I apologize!

3 Likes
5460

I think I restored the poll again. If there are any other concerns, please let me know.

1 Like
5461

Thank you!

I did have a question. I was trying to do some digging but having trouble finding a solid answer. Hopefully it’s okay to ask it here.

What would be considered qualified for WiP? I know a demo is a requirement, but how early is that demo allowed to be? I’d definitely love to create an inclusive development process as I move through the game - keeping the community close (for anyone who’d be interested in the project). As such. I’m currently building the opening character creation out now, and then will begin hammering the opening areas out. I’d be more than open to publishing a ‘demo’ with the character creation, and pushing out incremental updates as features are built and areas are incrementally added.

Thank you!

EDIT: I should also probably add. The character creation itself is quite in-depth, so it wouldn’t be merely a few clicks without much text.

4 Likes
5462

I am afraid there is no solid answer because each author/developer has different needs and purposes for their demo.

This “demo” and your plans for a developer diary style of WiP thread is qualified. It really is up to you, how you utilize the WiP to benefit you and your project the most.

If you’re not sure how to share a demo, simply go to dashingdon.com, or https://moody.ink/ Both are third-party hosting sites for ChoiceScript games. After you create an account, you’ll be able to upload your game and share the link to it in the OP of your WiP topic.

The moodyink site is the one that has the latest updated ChoiceScript version, but it does require your readers to log on to save their progress. The advantage of moodyink saves is that they are persistent saves and available cross-device, just by logging in.

2 Likes
5463

Okay, this is probably stupid because I’m writing this anyway, but some recent discussions have made me feel very unsure.

Would you be interested in a game where you aren’t exactly in control of the plot?

The setting is a Star Trek/Babylon 5/Mass Effect -esque space opera, and you’re a lieutenant (department depending on player choice) on a capital-class ship running deep space patrols. There’s an interstellar war, spy games, and weird things happening that you get mixed up in, but essentially, they would be happening even if you weren’t there.

20 Likes
5464

That sounds totally fine! Don’t worry about it

5465

I’m currently in the midst of planning and drafting an IF game based around the themes of Monster Catchers (primarily Pokemon) with the whole friend and rival set up (each romancable), journeys and travaling, and being terroized by an evil organization. The catch? I’m not a monster designer and IF has it’s limits so there will be no catching and obtaining a small army of powerful beings. Instead the monsters will operate more like familiars but if the familiars had magic instead of witches. Instead of capturing capsules of some type, your monster companion, called a Phantom Beast, will be attached to your through a birthmark (that looks more like a magical tattoo) where they can be stored.

MC’s Phantom Beast is pre-determined to be the god-monster itself, an axolotl-- if axolotls had six legs and had the build of a dog and the personality of a cat. I’m not entirely set on how the color of them will be decided but as if right now the options are having it be decided by the color chosen for the MC’s hair or eyes, or be player’s choice. This will be decided by how I need everything set up.

There are four different power types Phantom Beats can end up having:

Pytonics, which focuses on themes of fire, light, and electricity.

Hytonics, which focuses on themes of cold, water, and darkness.

Tetonics, which focuses on themes of nature, ground, and form.

Aetonics, which focuses on themes of wind, mind, and sound.

Depending on what Tonics your best falls into can impact the appearance of their Ascendance, currently planned to be a temporary power up form.

As for the plot:

Most people were able to start their journeys as teens, but as your family immigranted from a region where this was not the case and with hopes of running a family restaurant, MC was not able to so so with the others. Now in their mid 20’s and a successful business, you’re invited on a roadtrip with your bestfriend to experience what journeying is all about. But with the odd and vicious rumors of kidnappings and the number of reported attacks on the rise, your best friend also opts to recruit their older sibling and friend while your rival invites themself along!

  • You can have prior experience in Beast Battles or Phantom Pageants, but without the ability to travel you were only able to go so far locally.

  • While your bestfriend and rival will have a leg up on you when it comes what you decide to specialize in, your encounter with the BBORG will have you gain experience quickly.

  • There are two gender flipable RO’s (your rival and your best), one non-binary RO (your bff’s older sibling), and two gender set RO’s (the friend of the older sibling is a woman, while the last RO is a man) but that can change later down the line when I get more experience in writing gender flipping characters.

  • There are no plans of choosing a Phantom Beast from a selection. The Axolotl beast is set an will make things much easier on me coding and writing wise.

20 Likes
5466

Hey everyone!

Back again. I really appreciate the responses to the poll I threw up regarding naming. I’ve since closed it, but an overwhelming majority voted to keep the name as Estheria: A Realm Divided. Thus, I have!

I’m actually working extensively on a demo build currently. While it’s not quite ready for prime time yet, it should be within the next few days. This demo build will include the first pass on robust character creation and will include the following:

  • Choose from a palette of fourteen prebuilt names, or build your own!
  • Gender and pronoun selection.
  • The ability to choose from one of seven races, each complete with their own detailed ‘race info’ mini-piece when looking through them at the point of selection.
  • The ability to choose from one of ten character backgrounds. Each background also features details regarding the background’s history, and will have an enormous impact on gameplay in the long-run.
  • Select your romance-style, and if you have a specific preference for romantic orientation!
  • Customize your visual appearance. Hair color, eye color, body type, body features, scars and locations, tattoos, the choice is yours.
  • Answer a series of questions that will help determine your underlying personality, including key traits (both positive and negative) that may introduce new choices and interactions in your character’s future, while setting a baseline for your starting stats.
  • Lastly, recap on your choices and restart the process should the end result not remain satisfying.

I’d love feedback from anyone on how this sounds to you, and if anything additional could be added of value. My plans for the project are extensive and ambitious, with a goal to crank out between 2500 and 5000 words a day at current pace. In current state, the character creator is still quite unfinished yet holds nearly 2500 words on its own without factoring in any code or commands.

Super stoked for this project, and to be a part of this community!

25 Likes
5467

This seems ambitious, but also really cool!

5 Likes
5468

Hi Anna!

Definitely not going to deny that it is, haha. The game overall will probably be in dev for quite awhile, and that’s something I’ll always communicate honestly about. That said, I’ve worked on Estheria since 2013 and it’s pretty-much my life-work. Discovering ChoiceScript and the Choice of Games community allowed me to finally begin development on something proper for Estheria in an interactive fashion and has lit my drive higher than it has ever been before. I’m really excited to be working on it!

I’ll be working with the community when I get an official WiP page up (once the Demo is ready) and taking suggestions, incorporating feedback and generally keeping an open dialogue as I move through the process.

11 Likes
5469

I’ll be honest, the code can be a pain sometimes, especially if you have as many branching paths as you seem to be suggesting here.

But the works that have the most work and love put into them end up being the best ones.

Hope for the best. :slight_smile:

7 Likes
5470

Thanks for the response, Leinco!

I’m definitely taking a lot of research into account to try to structure my code the best. I don’t disagree with you though haha. Some of the pathwork already is a bit of a pain, haha.

Thank you for the kind words!

5 Likes
5471

Can I get a solid and have someone link me to the equivalent version of this thread where people tossed ideas for writers to use. I’m looking for some inspo that isn’t just the recent books I’ve read :skull:

@LiliArch
Thank you :heart:

4 Likes
5472
2 Likes
5473

So I’m looking to start a second project [Chaos mode, I know] but I want to get my feet wet in a completely different setting than the one for Shengzhang. So I’m thinking of setting a game in some version of the modern world or a post apocalyptic setting [or anything that feels immensely different to me] with a slightly smaller scope than my primary project.

Concept 1: Back in the Limelight

Genres: [Superhero] [Mystery]
Description: You are a washed up superhero who was put on the shelf almost a decade ago, left to rot with your powers put on a form of ‘decomission’ as a condition for you to be allowed to retire in piece. You were luckier than most in that regard, given you had the chance to leave at all. Still, after a particular ‘incident’ you find yourself embroiled in political/superhero conflict all over again and are pulled back from the shadows whether you want to or not in a conflict that seems to only grow in scale.

Concept 2: Dancing on Mirrors

Genres: [Sport] [University]
Description: A story set around ice-skating. I haven’t decided if the MC would become a coach of an ice-skating team or be an ice skater themself, but both of these could have some different implications. I think that it would be interesting, and perhaps it is a little more inspired by me having watched Yuri on Ice than I would like to admit. In terms of conflict…? I am much more of an intrapersonal writer than one interested in just having them win their prefecture, so I would think that the end goal of the story would be more about the characters than just winning a competition.

Concept 3: Through Another’s Eyes

Genres: [Isekai] [Historical]
Description: You thought you were doomed, when you saw your own life flash you knew it was over… But after everything goes dark you find yourself slowly coming to only to realize that the ceiling is painted in an intricate series of colours and patterns you don’t recognize, and there is a scattered array of alarmed people you have never met who seem in awe as your bleary vision clears enough to see your hands are not your own. You are in someone else’s body, and it is not until a knight comes in that you learn the significance of whose body you appear to have taken over… What does it mean? Have you stolen it from them? What are the implications of such a thing anyway? [Setting is historical, not any magical elements outside of the body swap planned.]

Note: All concepts would have character customization in some form as an integral part of the story, I really value being able to make the MC feel how you want them to in a story. And now, an obligatory poll to try to figure out what idea in particular peeps enjoy.

  • Concept 1: Back in the Limelight
  • Concept 2: Dancing on Mirrors
  • Concept 3: Through Another’s Eyes
  • None of these appeal to me
0 voters
13 Likes
5474

I would LOVE the third one! I’m a sucker for that kinda thing

1 Like
5475

I also like the 3rd one best. I feel like we don’t have enough good Isekai games, and i think that a lot can be done with the concept beyond just the initial idea of an Isekai.

I’ll also be honest, i feel like the first just kinda feels like it’s Fallen Hero, but if Sidestep never became a villian and just kinda retired.

2 Likes
5476

I mean, that’s fair, but I think a lot of the resemblance is because there is a surface level summary of the concept. I definitely don’t think it would end up as similar as it might seem at first blush [MC wouldn’t be a telepath for one, and considering a lot of what we know about Sidestep there is a lot that you could decide to go a different direction on lol. Spoilery things]. I just think there isn’t really a story about what happens to heroes after they are done taking front stage so something a bit different would be interesting on that regard.

There is so many stories centering around the act of becoming a superhero in the first place, I feel as though having more stories about either every day people in a superhero setting or of heroes or villains after they are done with taking center stage would be a compelling direction to take things. A detective who also works as a vigilante or villain undercover would be fun too me thinks [detective could be powerless, lending some interesting situations]. There is a lot of superhero stuff in general in IF, but I am just looking to make something very different from what I’ve done before so :person_shrugging:

Response to @LiliArch :
Honestly as much as I like concept 3 I am just leaning back onto the idea of concept 1 because I want it to feel really distinctive and another historical setting might make it a little harder for it to feel like a breath of fresh air versus Shengzhang and that is the point to begin with is to make it a kind of break. I just don’t know what kind of story to write in a setting about superheroes, but the idea of a retired hero turned jaded detective seems amusing to me.

6 Likes
5477

Well, I’m always ready for more superheroes. Not going to take a vote though, you should write what you want.

1 Like