Hi @KP_Everly, congratulations on the progress on your WIP! I’ve moved your post here as there is not yet a demo link - please feel free to let me know when you post a WIP thread with a demo and I can always move it there (or you can repost) 
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Oh ok sorry about that! I was told I could post from my dev blog that that was ok but not to declare it as a WIP yet. So I thought I put it in the right category sorry about that. I was just trying to update my cog page with my Tumblr updates. I still have to type out a demo. Sorry again! Also how can I change my user name? I wanted to change it to my pen K.P.Everly.
No worries! I can change your username but the software doesn’t allow full stops. Would KP_Everly be OK?
Yeah that’s cool!
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That’s done!
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I think the idea sounds really sweet, though I can see why it would be a bad character idea in practice.
A lot of this concept would hinge on the idea that someone inside of the community–who reads and is aware of these ifs–understands these references.
It could be a really fun idea, but in the case where someone who plays it won’t understand your references, the execution would need to be able to stand on its own without knowledge of the referenced work.
Instead of a straight up reincarnation of the character, you could try having them be similar or passively reference their counterparts without directly tying them into the world???
That aside, this does sound like a really good trivia puzzle/meta dating game that could test one’s knowledge on who these characters are based on!
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Time for another update on this one! I’ve decided to go for a late 90s-early 2000s setting. I wasn’t sure, and I’m still not super positive this is the right move, but I needed to come to a decision if I wanted to move forward. And I think this can be a fun time to play with. I’m an American born in the 2000s, so if anyone here has any insight (or resources with insight) on things you thing would work well with London during this period, I’m totally open to suggestions.
As for what I’m doing now, I’m creating a character profiles for what the main characters will be like at the start of the game. I’m starting at book accurate, then moving away to fit the time better, and then moving even further if something won’t be a particularly fun aspect for the game. Like how gentlemanly Holmes was. I won’t make him a jerk, but he won’t be a proper gentleman either.
When it comes to characters, particularly to ROs, I have 3 that I’m sure of and 1 that I’m considering. The ones that are definitely in the game will be Sherlock, Lestrade, and Isaac Adler (who was Irene in the original). The other one I’m considering is Mycroft, Sherlock’s brother. He isn’t an obvious choice, but I think a fun dynamic can be made by including him and making him more involved than he usually is. Any thoughts?
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Also American, so my insight is a tad bit limited.
I believe communication is key in the mystery genre: assassins sending a letter to notify their client that the job is done (which could act as a clue) or gaining info about the relationship between two characters through the text messages they sent.
Researching how phones and computers worked at the time might help develop your mysteries and give your work a more grounded feeling. Some search topics that might help are:
- AOL Instant Messenger
- Texting/Phone Calls being pricy
- Landlines
In terms of Mycroft, I really like the idea of making a lesser utilized character in Sherlock canon more prevalent! It really makes the story your own and–I believe–lends credence to how the player’s choice effects the story. (In the case that romancing him would provide more “Mycroft screentime”).
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An easy cultural touchstone is going to be the music. Go and give a listen to some of the major bands of the era and area; pop, rock and r&b/soul in particular. Some punk, some alternative, some indie will help as well. It’ll give you cues to the general mood of the era. Look at fashion too, clothing informs who people are and how they think about themselves more than you’d think as well as what groups/outlooks they identify themselves with. It’s not as obvious in 90s-00s as it was in (for example) the mod and punk eras, but it is still there. Maybe watch some of the late teen/early adult themed movies and television shows for a good read on the attitudes and concerns of the time, and try to find and read some articles on the politics of the era and area. You want the major touchstones, just enough to make it all recogniseable but not enough that you don’t leave yourself wiggle room to bring in any of the more fantastic elements you’ll need to to make a character like Holmes and those cases that would have gotten major media attention work. All of this is probably sounding like a lot, but it will help you both to ground your setting and your characters within it.
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Thanks so much for the advice! I’ll definitely be looking into technology that would have been available for people. That’s one of the reasons I picked this period, because I think once smartphones and major social media sites enter the scene, it becomes a bit more complicated and a little less fun.
I’m glad you like my Mycroft idea! I think his dynamic with Sherlock has a lot of potential, but he isn’t very utilized in the original stories. He shows up in “Sherlock,” but even there he’s secondary and doesn’t get much of an arc.
@AnneWest
Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate your suggestions
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Hey gang! I’m very new to the writing scene, coding scene and… Well. Everything honestly!!
But I do have some plans to play around for babies first IF.
I’m considering a romance (maybe horror??) story involving a human MC romancing a Monster person. My plan is to explore the differences of both and what really defines humans as humans. I’m still struggling to actually write, but I’ve jotted down a messy handful of premises and ideas 
I’d also really like to play around with how the coding works to post some images of the RO’s since I’m into drawing ^^ But I don’t want to take away from the imagination aspect either. What do y’all think?
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I really like this idea! I agree with what @CriticalRok said, but I also think it may be fun (and easier?) to maybe have Carni being more fourth wall break-y. Still a character themselves, but one that’s maybe aware of being a character rather than a mish-mash of other characters from other stories.
A fun easter egg idea could be including this idea in a later story to reference your own works so it still has the meta vibe but relies less on the readers having read very specific stories on their own. More like a fun thing for people who’ve read your work in particular ^-^
Love the idea as a whole and would love to play a demo should it gets made.
Replying to myself since I now have a more concrete idea/concept to post. But certainly not enough for a WIP xD
Overall, the genre will be heavily leaning into romance/fantasy ! I plan on writing this in first person, but since most people seem to write in 2nd person, I’ve decided to change things up a little bit to accommodate others. In short, I want to be able to write 4 different ‘narrator’ options. Essentially, you’ll be able to flavor the MC’s career to shape their personality to be closer to your own (or whatever you prefer to read/play!)
The concept I have going is that you are from a town known as Clearwater. A city that lays in the valley of some sacred mountains. Due to the sins of the past, the city itself is surrounded by a moat that is said to be blessed by the goddess of water. Which prevent monsters and other spooky creatures from entering the town to keep the inhabitants safe. No one leaves the city unless their trained to prepare for the worst.
But depending on your decisions, you may find yourself outside anyway 
Taken to an old manor filled with these monsters, you slowly find yourself realizing they’re more human than you could have realized.
I’m excited to write and play around with the idea. 
I have the RO’s somewhat designed, but here’s a sneak peek for one of them (he/they) as I get back into things. An arachne with an eccentric personality and love for fashion 
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Hello everyone!
I’ve been an avid reader of interactive fiction for years, and now I’m finally taking the leap to create my own. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this idea: feedback, suggestions, and critiques are all welcome!
Title: Runecaster Academy
Genre: Adventure | School | Mystery
Synopsis:
Runecaster Academy is the most prestigious institution for aspiring runecasters. As the only place in the kingdom that formally teaches rune mastery, it has shaped generations of powerful runecasters across all fields.
But behind its grand reputation lies a history filled with secrets, some celebrated, others buried deep within its halls. With three distinguished houses: Red Buffalo, White Swan, and Black Tortoise, each fostering unique talents, the academy is more than just a school; it’s a battlefield of ambition, politics, and hidden truths.
You play as a first-year student at Runecaster Academy. Will you rise as the top student and secure a coveted scholarship? Become the most charismatic student and capture the attention of the academy’s heartthrobs? Unravel the mysteries lurking in the shadows? Or expose the corruption within the institution and bring justice to light? The choice is yours.
Features:
Experience life as a freshman at the most prestigious academy in the kingdom. Choose your background (bourgeois/proletarian), which will shape your opportunities and your struggles.
Customize your character’s appearance, physique, gender, and personality to craft your own unique experience.
Build relationships and romance one of four available ROs (gender options TBD).
Join one of three houses, determined by your academy entrance interview.
Choose an extracurricular path that will influence your academy life. Will you immerse yourself in The Chronicle, dedicate your time to Red Cross or Black Cross, or navigate student affairs with The Council?
Choose your legacy: Excel academically, rise as a social star, stir up trouble, uncover hidden secrets, or navigate the academy’s political web.
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I was curious of those potential legacys is posssible to get most of them in a single play through or will it be a bit more limited?
I like the concept and look forward to seeing what you put forth as a demo in the future.
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Been jamming on a concept for a month now, hoping to have a demo available by April but I suppose I’ll gauge for interest here since I feel like it’s not the typical image of a game in ChoiceScript.
[DUELIST DIVERS]
Genre(s): Fantasy/Surreal/Action
[Premise]
After your father dies a shadow of his glory days, you set out to seek your fortune in Laurentel as a member of the Divebird Musketeers. During the journey, you end up ambushed by a maddened sort with the capability of transforming his body to suit wicked aims. You have no hope against this being, still lucid enough to tell you of his goal: “To dine lavishly on the final fears of this world, and see this pilgrimage to the Golden City done…” As your consciousness fades and the calls of the ravens becomes the only thing your senses cling to, your dying thoughts ring out: “He’ll go hungry, for my courage shines through.”
You find yourself days later decidedly alive and unharmed, but now as you sleep you find yourself in Rosea, the Golden City that beast spoke of, somehow within its strange walls despite its sealing by holy knights ages before your birth. The captain of the Divebirds makes it clear: Your dying message was etched into the large plume in your cap, a gift from your father. That courage has kept you alive, but has equally trapped you in the source of the plume’s power: The Golden City. This brush with death has granted your mind the ability to “Dive” to Rosea, overrun by all manner of fiends who cling to the memory-etching power of Great Plumage. Furthermore, a war between the Laurentian King’s Divebird Musketeers and the Lumine Church’s Cardinal Dragoons is being waged there.
Settle the scores of the Divebirds, explore Rosea’s secrets, and unravel the surreal powers of Great Plumage that may capture the future (or maybe release the past…)
[Gameplay Specification]
Inspired narratively by The Three Musketeers and mechanically by a mix of visceral action games such as Dark Souls, and strategic fighting games such as Tekken. Duelist Divers uses a combat system meant to evoke tense and frantic swashbuckling. Utilizing simultaneous turns and simulated frame data (simplified to a stat called “cue”), the battle system can function without the need for any randomization. (This has been the major focus of development and is coming to fruition finally.) Other gameplay features complete or nearing completion include a detailed codex system for exploring side lore details and the ability to define custom gender and pronouns/terminology for your character. Still in planning is a code cipher system that can allow players to send their character to another player for them to battle.
[Closing]
I’m a lot more of a programmer than a writer, so gameplay systems have been the focus, but narratively it’s starting to come along nicely as well. I’m hoping to provide something players of text adventures/IF games will find unique. That said, I’m gauging for interest and feedback because I don’t know if IF gamers are often looking for detailed RPG and battle mechanics over large amounts of prose-driven content. Rest assured I think I can deliver plenty of character moments, but with the premise and gameplay being exploring a very hostile city and dying a lot, it won’t be the kind of narrative building people may be used to.
Furthermore, this is my first game that may actually feasibly release, so I’m learning to be professional about such things…
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It may not be your typical CoG, but I’d love to try it for sure.
I’m pretty sure there’s an audience for the non-standard stuff.
I’m more of a writer than I am a programmer, so I think you have a really strong premise so far! I really love the worldbuilding you have set up and would be really interested to see what it might turn out to be.
One point of critique I have so far is that the premise itself is a bit confusing to read; there are a ton of places/concepts that make it confusing to picture what the world is and it feels a bit overwhelming. The writing feels very esoteric, which isn’t a bad thing, but it might be helpful to slow down and ease the player into the world. (Phrases like “maddened sort” and “wicked aims” are cool if you play Soulsborne games, but they might be a bit confusing for anyone outside of that sphere to get it.)
Of course, this is just the premise, and it doesn’t represent the breadth of the world and writing. Take my words with a grain of salt! I just want to note that I think clarity is important when it comes to delivering worldbuilding details–especially when players inhabit a character that exists in a world that is radically different from what the vast majority of people are used to.
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I echo @CriticalRok. The premise seems interesting (from what I could understand), but confusing. Too many name drops mixed with highbrow concepts.
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