On the off chance that it helps you think through the ramifications of this potential story development, I would just like to say:
Doggo doggo doggo doggo doggo doggo! 
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I do like writing elements that you would enjoy, it’s true! (I’ve actually included some bits relating to libraries and stories in the first chapter that I hope you will find fun, hehe)
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Awwwwww, you are seriously so sweet, and I definitely love this game already since it has libraries and stories and at least one dog.
Of course, the real question is, can I romance the librarian? @leiatalon keeps writing librarians I can’t romance, because she’s a big meanie.
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There isn’t a major librarian character for reasons that will be revealed when I eventually put up the first couple of chapters, but there are two romanceable characters who I’d say are… hmmm… library adjacent maybe? One is very interested in preservation and documentation of scienceish-magic/magicish-science, and the other is a research nerd about witchcraft-magic (while being more into doing out-in-the-field stuff); both are interested in collecting folklore and knowledge so if the PC has managed to collect such things that relate to their interests, there are special interactions with them.
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I think my future self-insert character just swooned.
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Awwww 
I hope you end up enjoying it once I show more about it! (It’s a lot sadder and more perilous than my other games, but has a lot of hope and determination in it too; it’s a bit of a risky move to shift tones from what I’ve been doing for some time, but is exactly what I needed)
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I remember doing a fair amount of research, some years back, for a dog that was going to be part of the cast of a (now trunked) novel. The research itself was so fun, I’m still looking for the right story to use it in.
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It’s been so cold where I am and work’s been killing me, but I’m reassuring myself that I’m still hobby writing (just not my IF) that I’m still meeting my goal… even if it’s not my ideal (working on my IF).
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Wolves could catch their own food. In case that fits…
Because she already has more ROs than she knows what to do with. 
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Be me- force a feedback form into people’s faces with every single little update post you push through 
I, too, am in the middle of trying to gather up some data I need for proper balancing and have a total number of 7 people responding to it. TBH it’s better than nothing at all, still, as I can still make a vague enough assumption of how I can improve upon my IF and balance things up.
first things first; please don’t give up! write what you enjoy, and do remember how there might be people reading your stuff who genuinely love the story yet are silent forum lurkers who don’t have an account or rather not post stuff. Once upon a time I was that silent lurker for years playing and enjoying all kinds of games before they went on a hiatus and died. Feedback and a good story is ofc a nice thing to achieve and get to learn and grow, but your own enjoyment and comfort is number 1 priority.
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I’ll do it once I get the time to go through the entire game, probably tomorrow. Wanted to read the update anyways 
No prob, I like beating stuff up with a bat including my own WiP
@FireFlyy I filled the form! One thing is that I couldn’t find Amethyst’s stats in the stat page (everyone is there but Ame) so I just kinda guessed whether it should be Humane or Creature from the text 
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ahhhhhahah my hero 
thank you. My daily amount of serotonin comes from seeing people constructively criticize my work and beat it up with a bat filling out the form
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316 new words.
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Well darn, I’ll just have to settle for the handsome, intelligent, strong, kind, funny, totally unsnobbish prince!
(I like him better than the librarian anyway!)
Between the broadness of my tastes and the depths of your talent, I’m not particularly worried. 
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Made about 2.5k words today. Starting to put in a bit more time where I find myself unattended to. Although that is starting to be a tad hard to do as the days go by. Still it is progress over nothing. With this I come with a question that I was wondering how you all would approach.
Sometimes you write out a plot that requires the MC to go through a specific path or plan. How do you avoid it feeling railroady having the MC make a specific plan that someone who is playing may personally find disagreeable (I.E attacking from a certain point or meeting at a certain cafe.) While at the same time not drastically increasing your load by adding too many paths and options?
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A good way to do this is to try and offer options that let the MC think about alternatives, before dismissing them for insert reason and going where the plot needs them to be. If done well it can provide more of a sense of freedom than there is.
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You “funnel” the reader (and the MC) into thinking it’s the best/only plan by showing how other options won’t work (from MC’s PoV).
“No, we can’t sneak in this way, there’s a big angry dog guarding the door, better try that way” etc.
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It’s interesting that you asked this because I did a poll on the Hosted Games subreddit, and asked what readers would prefer in situations where the story needs to go to a certain place by design. Interestingly, people were split between the three options I gave:
No choice, where the author simply takes your character where the story demands without asking you anything about what you’d like to do.
Choice that leads to an early ending, in which the author gives you the opportunity to deviate from the “right” path, but you are automatically taken to an alternative ending of the story.
Illusory choice, in which the author also gives you the opportunity to deviate, but events beyond your control force you back onto the desired path one way or another.
The consensus ended up being that each of these styles has its merits, and its rightful place. Personally, I’m a big fan of alternative endings. Again using the example of my favorite IF, Zombie Exodus, I never liked the book giving me a choice between going down the stairs, and going back to my apartment, but forcing me down the stairs anyway by simply shoving a zombie in my face. I know I have to go downstairs and find my sister for the story to move forward, but if you give me the choice to be a coward and lock myself in my apartment, why don’t you write a game over page describing my ignoble end as the world collapses around me instead of simply invalidating my choice? I don’t care about the game over, but I do care about my immersion.
It’s still my favorite book. I’m addicted to it.
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Honestly false choices always stick out to me more than no choice because they rarely feel intentional imo. Not providing a choice is just as powerful as any other tool and I don’t think you or any IF author should be afraid of it. Be confident in what you’re trying to do.
However, there should be a clear thought process or some characterization of the protagonist or world that either later on or sooner, leads the reader to the point of why they took that path. With a well-written character, even if I don’t like their choice I can still walk it back and piece together why they did it in the context of who they are, the world they live in and the circumstances they were presented with. That’s the most important thing I think and working with the narrative to see what the author is trying to show you (and sometimes what they’re not) is like 99% of the fun and reward of reading stories imo.
You could also just skip the middle man and write specific choices for readers to choose why the character is doing things that way if you don’t want to write a specific characterization.
TLDR: The why matters not the how. The first part informs the latter.
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I think I’ve settled on how detailed I plan to make the romance scenes in Quiver, so I just thought I’d share a snippet. Just to see if I’ve written it how I see it in my head.
You pull Nell closer. She lets out a gasp, but it is clearly a pleased one. She looks up at you as you lean down to kiss her.
Your kiss is at first…
*choice
#Soft…but sure.
Your lips meet, soft at first, your kiss tender. Nell reacts, kissing you back. It isn't long until your kiss becomes more passionate.
*goto nell_next_step
#Soft…but uncertain.
Your lips meet, soft but uncertain; you want this, but does Nell? That thought distracts you. Nell must have picked up on your nervousness, and she takes over, kissing you back, almost guiding you until you feel more sure of this and your kiss becomes more passionate.
*goto nell_next_step
#Passionate.
Your lips meet, firm and allowing your passion to guide your kiss. Nell murmurs her pleasure at your directness and immediately kisses you back with just as much passion.
*goto nell_next_step
#Teasing.
Your lips move close to hers, and she leans forward, and you pull back with a knowing smile. She smirks and runs her fingers through your hair before pulling you back in for a kiss.
*goto nell_next_step
This is just from a choice to pull her closer. there will be other choices that let her take the lead or it to play out differently.
I am aiming for to be intimate but not erotic (I think if I understand the spice levels in Hearts Choice this would be a 2?)
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