IM GLAD I COULD MOTIVATE YOU! That said, Iāve pretty much accepted that the only time Iāll have to work on my game is Saturdays. TAT
Oh boy, I had this same question when I got started. I found what works best for me is to start with a bullet-point outline. Then, I pick a section (in this case, chapter one), and I start turning the bullet points into *comments. Then, as I finish the *comments, I start connecting where the choices would be mentally. Then I add those as framework code. Once Iāve got the framework for each section set up, I start adding prose. Prose usually yeilds more choices or stats updates, so after Iāve got a little prose, I add those in. And then, I do a final check for if the prose fits.
After that, I test it.
Anna, honey. TAT Omg.
You did GREAT! May I offer some advice that really helped me with writing creepy shit? other senses. Youāve touched on feel, but what about Smell? Hearing? Do they hear the squishy noises of the blood climbing slowly up their legs? Do they see the wriggling of whatever it is beneath their clothing as it climbs higher? What about pain? Is there any sharp pain, swelling pain, heated pain? Does it feel like a violation, or does it feel oddly comforting? Can they hear the sharp and staccato breathing of those around them?
See this is what Iām thinking too. My game was meant to be brutal, as physical punishment is the norm in the society Iāve written, so having early endings just made sense. But I avoided it because it seemed to be frowned upon.
God would I love to see examples of these sheets. TAT
Ooooh. That sounds fun
IVE JUST BEEN USING TODO BUT THIS IS BRILLIANT.
NAME THE APP GOOD GENTLEPERSONā¦ oh wait, nvm. You already did. XD Thanks a ton for that!
Iāve been trying to randomise my choices too. That way I can make sure that players donāt feel railroaded into one character build type.
I started out with doing this as a default on my choices, but I think adding it as a choice would be a better idea (especially since my dumb ass forgot to keep doing it as the chapter progressed, so now I have to make a note about going back and setting it up. TAT)
Oh shit thatās brilliantā¦ How would you even code that though?
Your games inspire me a TON, Hannah. Like, I legit only got into choicecoding because I saw what you did with Creme de La Creme, and I fell in LOVE. Soā¦ yeah, thatās one. The other one is the Samurai of Hyuga series? I really loved that one so much so that I bought all of the games for it that came out. Heart of the House really hit me HARD, as a really great example of how emotional depth had such an impact on such a short game. And Weyrwood really drove home to me how easy it was to bring new genres into this sphere, and how well they could do.
THIS. ME TOO. OMG. Literally, Phoenix Rising came about because I was sooooo pissed about how the story was treating my fave guy in Legent of Yanxi Palace. XD
OOf, honey. I know that feeling. Insomnia SUCKS BALLS. I know youāre probably tried everything, but recently, Iāve found that going back to my teenage habit of Maladaptive Daydreaming myself to sleep has been helping? Itās basically where you lay down, and then tell yourself a story in your head while trying to see it mentally. And that usually ends with me asleep.
but how did you figure it out. TAT
I feel like this is why each writer should have a āstyle sheetā for their own work. Note down important shit, like āare the choice options italicized or notā, āI must capitalize this word every time whether itās a noun or notā, āChoices are in stat orderā, etc.
I wish I had creative energy. TAT Iām so tired mentally at the end of every day all I can do is play a mobile game or read a fanfic.
AND NOW I WANT TO BE IN A GAME JAM?! When am I gonna have time for that. TAT Iām dyingā¦ flop
CONGRATULATIONS! You did so well, omg!
Okay, now that I have all the replies out of the way, I can say my own piece. XD That said, I havenāt even touched my computer this week. On the bright side Iāve met my sales goal for the week at work. On the downside, Iām so distraught from being unable to create anythingā¦ I kinda wanted to die a little. Like in a, āThis is not what Iām meant to be and do, why should I bother living this wayā way, not a āI have a plan and am a danger to myself and othersā way, so no worries. Iām good there guys.
Justā¦ I look at how long itās taken me just to get what Iāve got done done, and then I look at what I have ahead of me and it seemsā¦ impossible, yknow? Iām trying to tell myself not to think that way. I really am. But like. I donāt want this to be a game that takes me a decade to finish, yknow?
Ugh. If only I could clone myself so one could work on the game and the other could go to work and then I could switch them back and forth, that way each one gets a break. TAT
Edit: ANNNND I just saw the advance-royalties post that just got put up and holy shit, I gotta admit thatās some motivation right there. What I would do with 15 grand. TAT
