I find the thought of users on a text-based-games-forum (who have, repeatedly, stated wanting long games) would not want to read, but what do I know.
I apologize. But I’m not quite understanding your statement. You’ll have to break it down for me.
I noticed you have a number of likes on your idea post, that’s usually how many people (I included) show interest in this thread. It’s not so often people ask questions or talk about it before a demo release.
Also, I just read your amazing IF description and I’m among the people who can’t wait for a demo(I really love being a chronomancer). So you can rest assured that your work has its audience when you finally decide to release it.
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Hello everyone! I’m posting here with just the very beginnings of an idea.
First off - this is only just starting to take shape and I also have other writing projects prioritised. This is something I thought up years ago, and now am sketching out bits and pieces in my spare time. So I cannot promise how soon and how fast things would progress with this project, although I definitely want to commit to it. I’m also crossing my fingers that this idea hasn’t already been made into a Choice Of or Hosted game. If it has, it would be really helpful to know!
The game would feature the stock characters of Commedia dell’Arte, in a Renaissance Italy-esque setting. The MC is one of the zanni, the servants. I was thinking of having them fill the role of Columbina, although you will be able to select your name and gender, and you can play their personality however you wish. When your master/mistress enlists your help in their affair with an heir to a rival family, you must juggle your loyalty to them, the demands of their stern and loveless guardian, and your own interests. Will you help the lovers find happiness, betray them to their parental authorities, or simply sow discord for your own amusement? And with a suitor of your own and many chances to pursue romance, will you fall in love yourself?
Cast (as planned so far)
Note: my plan is to allow a choice between male, female and nonbinary for gender-customisable characters. My plan is that MC, Silvia, Leandro, Pierrot and Harlequin will all be gender-customisable.
Potential ROs are indicated below. I plan to include poly romance options, but I’m not yet sure of the combinations and that might get spoilery anyway.
Some of the character info may change during development, but here’s what I’ve planned so far.
MC - servant and longtime friend to Silvia/Silvio (see below). Name, gender, skills and personality will all be up to the player.
Silvia/Silvio (RO) - the master/mistress of the MC. Referred to as Silvia below for brevity. Idealistic, naive, “in love with love”, although they proclaim their love for…
Leandro/Leandra (RO) - heir to a rival family of Silvia’s. Referred to as Leandro below.The MC is tasked with acting as messenger between the lovers, but whether and where romance blossoms may be up to you…
Pierrot/Pierette (RO) - the MC’s devoted suitor and fellow servant . Earnest, sensitive and a hopeless romantic. It’s up to the player how you feel about their dedicated attempts at courtship, and whether you encourage of rebuff them.
Harlequin (RO - may instead be called Arlecchino/Arlecchina) - a servant to Leandro/Leandra’s family. Clever and mischievous, with a healthy distrust of authority. If you somehow manage to get in their bad books, you may find yourself on the recieving end of some well-aimed pranks…
Pantalone - Silvia’s father. Ruthless and greedy. Not a nice person. Nevertheless, you can curry favour with him if you wish - probably at the expense of everyone else.
The Doctor - Leandro’s father, rival of Pantalone. Probably the least fleshed out character currently.
The Captain - a boastful braggart who’s not as valiant as he claims. Suitor to Silvia, approved of by Pantalone. Will probably have a ridiculously long name. I may make him a romance option, but on a smaller scale and mainly for comedy purposes. More along the lines of “You attempt to seduce him for your own ends, and he’s flattered and easily led”.
As to the plot, it will mainly concern your attempts to help - or hinder - Silvia and Leandro’s burgeoning romance. In addition, you may pursue love yourself. You may also make yourself a thorn in the side of your social (if perhaps not moral) betters, or play their game and climb the social ladder. Again, this is just the first wisp of an idea. I can promise that a fancy party will be on the agenda, and shenanigans will feature heavily at all times.
I really hope nothing like this is already done. I was going to add a poll to measure interest, but I can’t see a option for it. I’d love to know if people are interested in this idea, because if so, I’d love to write it.
EDIT: To those who mentioned its similarity to Tally Ho, I did wonder about this. To be completely honest, my idea actually owes a lot of inspiration to my teenage obsession with A Midsummer Night’s Choice, but I didn’t want to single out @Gower in my post… Although now I’ve singled him out now by tagging him…
Thank you to those who responded with enthusiasm! I will try to find time to work on it!
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This looks really similar to tally ho in Choice of games with the hole butler trying to help their master/mistress with a love interest, but other then that little detail it seems mostly original
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That’s an honestly really good idea. Just like @Random_Person said it’s like Tally Ho.
Now i’m already excited for the romance. 
(i’m too corny tbh)
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While the basic premise is similar to Tally Ho, I think it can work without issue. And I think it sounds interesting
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I am looking at Harlequin disrespectfully.
I love this concept! Hopefully, you will write it, it sounds awesome.
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This sounds utterly delightful. I’d love to see it happen.
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It’s an old trope from the days of Jeeves.
True story: I pitched the following game to CoG twice:
As the clever servant of the house of the decrepit merchant Pantalone, you are specifically charged with ensuring that your master, your master’s son (the romantic Oratio), and your master’s daughter (the airhead Flaminia), are happy.
But as is so often the case in stories such as this one, happiness is elusive. Both your master, your master’s son, and the braggart Il Capitano have fallen in love with Isabella the rich widow, and duels to the death are scheduled for this very day! Expect to be run ragged, thrown from high windows, and given conflicting, confusing instructions.
Do you tell master Pantalone that his ships have crashed and he is bankrupt before or after the duel? Do you help him train in swordplay or do you disguise yourself as him and fight in his stead? How do you persuade his debt holder, Doctor Gratiano, to have mercy? Can you help Oratio and his true love elope, or, all things considered, would that just get you fired? What do you do when you learn that the Doctor needs the money in order to complete his cure for the terrible plague he believes is about to strike your village?
But most importantly, who has been Flaminia been sneaking out to visit in the middle of the night? Do you dare use the truth-telling spell you purchased from that old witch to find out, and what would you guess the odds are that you cast it incorrectly and end up enchanting yourself?
An Italian comedy in the spirit of Commedia dell’Arte, the Comedy of Errors, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The classical unities of time, place, and action will be followed.
(But they didn’t bite–instead choosing other game blurbs.) Go for it! It’s a genre that would be amazing to see come to life as a Choice game, and I’d love to see what you do with it!
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Sounds Hilarius, I would buy it
Is that what pitches look like? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, and I’ve been wondering.
Yep! I was asked to create about 4 pitches, and then one was selected for an outline to be written.
If you’re interested, I posted some of mine on the writer support thread this month.
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No Arlecchino? As Italian I’m deeply offended kidding 
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From that description, aren’t you playing Arlecchino? 
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I’m getting more Marriage of Figaro vibes, and I love it (I don’t much care for Tally Ho.)
Would you play a game like this. An interactive in which the MC is in the shoes of the Grand Creator, the God of this universe. Yes!! That God. The God of Christians.
The One and only God in existence. I am not talking about Jesus. I am talking about the One whose name is mentioned at Psalms 83:10 or Isaiah 42:8 in many Bibles.
Some would say playing God is just sitting and watching your Creation thrive , with little to do on your part. But what if you would be given options that would take you on different paths.
In which one of those parts, if you chose to, you would be following Jehovah’s path, much like imitation. Taking a different action than He did as recorded in the Holy Bible would take you off His path. Which won’t be a bad thing, since you would be a God of your own making.
Anyone have a thought on this, or another similar idea, feel free to drop any. In advabce thanks.
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God games are fun. They’re also very difficult, because they require a huge number of variable-juggling to feel properly dynamic and expansive, but more power to you to tackle that.
There’s also the fact that explicitly portraying the player as The Abrahamic God of Christians, Jews, and Muslims, the deity worshiped by over half of all people on the planet, is setting yourself up for quite a bit of controversy. It’s sensitive territory. There’s a place for satire of religion of course, but it requires careful treading, so that’s something to consider.
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