There’s no save options for the final release unless you make one yourself, but if it’s hosted on dashingdons, you just need to tick this box. (It’s kind of a beta testing save option.)
Also in your startup, include this code and it should by all rights work:
*sm_init Journeyintodarkness | 4
(You’ll need to disable this code to get random and quicktests to work.)
A variable-based save/checkpoint system might be a good idea for the final version as well, especially since right now dying causes the player to return to the beginning while with the books you could always return to the page of the choice. Even having the save at certain points, like at the start of the river, could add to the replayability without removing the need for remembering entirely.
I have started reading about how to do this, head is spinning! I will need some time to absorb the horror of how to code this!
This week I was able to start adding additional information for those that have followed a non-winning path
This feedback will really help the story in a couple of major ways, it will make these paths add some value and it is going to beef up the backstory considerably and allow readers to connect the dots.
Another path has been written and I have playtested it, unfortunately I am stuck on some coding at the moment and so this will be updated to dashingdon another time.
Here is what I have added to
The right path, in the box of letters
Most of the photographs are family portraits, obviously taken in England as keepsakes. Scanning through the various letters you see they have been received en-route and you note the postmarks of France, Spain, Morocco, Guinea and more. After sifting through a sheaf of letters that all seem to begin with “My Darling” you find a note that stands out from the others. Unusually this is a letter addressed to England that was never sent. It reads as follows:
“My Darling Agatha,
After reaching Cabinda port I have traveled down the Mjaa Nto in search of the fabled Amphibian Man. Even as I am surrounded by jungle that is both dark in body and spirit I still scoff at those superstitious fools back home who believe him to be some kind of monster or apparition. I have as much time for those idiots as I do the skeptics who do not believe in his existence at all! Quite clearly he represents the missing link I have long hypothesised between fish and man.
As I embarked down the river a storm hit of such epic proportions I quite wished that I too were blessed with fish-like characteristics! Fortunately I know that in such circumstances one should always sail into the storm itself. Without this knowledge I doubt that I would have survived. God knows where I would have ended up!
I have found a series of unique footprints that lead to a cave and it is here that I believe I will come face to face with Amphibian Man! Curiously my native guide believes him to be the guardian of “important words that can unlock great power”. I have no idea what he is blathering on about most of the time but I thought you would be amused none the less.
Do not worry about me, we will be reunited soon. Every night I look up to the moon and it comforts me to know that it is the same orb that you too gaze upon. Forever the moth to your flame…
Jonathan”
I have added a further clue as follows, it will be uploaded as soon as the coding issue for the latest bit is working. It is nearly there!
For the Triceratops village part: Before you leave the elder speaks to Lady Jane who once again translates:“There is a stone key, too heavy to lift and yet it can open the way”
10th August - I have uploaded another path and thanks to help in the forum the coding is working
Saving now enabled in Dashingdon! Fight the giant Crab! Crawl through a stinking Marsh! 
11th August - you can now Ride into the storm! Enjoy nature! Punch a tiger! 
14th August: Now added the final option for when the storm hits and a few more pics.
Have added some further story an important part is unlocked now
Go for a dip in the river! Visit a scenic grotto! Fight a creature!
Tomorrow I am hoping to upload another branch , getting there now I think a third of the story is uploaded, it is quicker now as I can cut and paste the reusable code
18th August -Climb a tree! (that’s it!)
This playthrough I headed straight into the storm, fought the Fish Man, and then used the boar to stop the anaconda. It might be nice if choosing that option has the characters do a small ceremony like when the player chooses to use dynamite or fight. Also, when the MC notices the toadstool perhaps if they have the book of poisoning they can notice it’s deadly beforehand.
I set free the jaguar as well, although I get the feeling that’s going to lead to a bad ending. I liked the missionary’s warning at the end, and continue to enjoy the interactions between Sir Malcolm and Lady Jane. It really feels like they are seasoned adventurers due to how they continue on despite all these situations they get into.
Looking forward to seeing what’s ahead on the path north!
Hi- thanks for the fantastic feedback, a nice start to the week!
Yes, the boar bit is important and needs more ceremony- will do!
This bit is highly reminiscent of old point and click adventures, its quite obscure isnt it?
Your point about the toadstool is also really good and has made me think I will add a few more bits that rely on having this book, cheers it’s vital at the end but your feedback makes me think you have buyers remorse
Your feedback on the jaguar made me smile as you found a coding error! if you free it, the missionary is dead when you find him!
I am really delighted that you have played this again -thank you! Its really fun to hear which way you have gone
I have added a path North where you can go up a tree - wow! but the rest is waiting. A major baddie is coming up soon!
I have added another part, time to find out the source of all that drumming!
Over halfway done now, the following left to do three more chapters to go : the mine, the maze and the city!
26th August - If you survive you might meet the jaguar, take a scenic walk along a cliff, meet some monkeys, decipher a code, find amazing beasts (and kill them!)
Sydney is broken
Ya, I’m pretty sure Sir Malcolm and I were eventually defeated by a pulverized blob of flesh.
MC: Get back on your feet Malcolm I need you in this.
Sir Malcolm: Sir, We’ve been fighting him for hours. I don’t even think he can die anymore 
, I mean …
Would it be possible for the “eat provisions/don’t eat provisions” options to not appear if you are at full stamina? Or perhaps if you do eat the provisions when you don’t need to the MC can temporarily gain stamina or something? Otherwise it’s a bit awkward always having to choose no since I went the insta win route this time – although I suppose you could make an achievement out of never using the provisions at all.
I also realized that, when you are following the Fish Man, if you don’t have the necklace it leads to a bad end no matter which path you choose. Since the player has to obtain the necklace back in Cabinda, and there’s no hint that it’s the necklace that’s needed for this point, maybe there should be another option to get through the jungle (even if also has a chance for a bad end).
Anyway, this time I reached the witch doctor and then decided to head straight towards the torches. I was doing pretty well – I even had wax to stop the spell – and then I decided to take the pill the witch doctor had handed over. I really should have seen that ending coming especially since she gave it so sadly. 
Looking forward to reaching the cliff and deciphering that code! 
many thanks for spotting that - you really did a number on him too, down to -30!
This is fixed now, I had incorrectly set him to die when a different monsters hp reached 0, so it was possible for him to go into minus numbers and beyond
Cheers and Thanks!
Many thanks for the feedback, very kind and appreciated.
I created this awkward code early on and now know I can make this much simpler. I will definitely change this code
Re following the fish man - big spoilers related to inventory choice : Originally it was possible to follow him Without the necklace if you shot at him and hit him or Lady Jane. This was random so you might miss entirely. I did not put this in for 2 reasons - the gun is fun to use but it wastes money and can stop players buying other kit they Must have. The other reason is that I did this bit when I was really tired and couldn’t think how to code it- as pathetic as that sounds I know! The very next chapter I worked out how to do it when I needed it for something else! I will put the blood trail back in and have a think about how to give more of a clue to the player.
I am really impressed that you went to the torches and didn’t bottle it! This is where your point about hinting to the player is so valid because obviously now you have met the Kolf boy you know he is going to take your neckerchief and use it against you, whereas with the necklace there is no learning to be had. I will change this -thanks!
Coding for this encounter was horrendous because there are so many variables, I won’t set myself up like that again!
Cheers again for the insight, there are 2 main bits left now after the cliff A maze and the city of death woooooh 
I have now added the Cliff path West and started the Temple maze.
Coding this has been every bit as long and complicated as I thought it would be but it is taking shape
I am looking forward to this bit being done as it introduces something a bit new to the game the need to make a map
There seems to be an issue with the knuckle duster and gun. They don’t appear to buy at the shop but are always available to use afterward. It looks like it’s because during startup you *create them as true.
This time around I was able to get five of the necromancer’s zombies, although I still had to fight the elder monster. I hope I don’t need gold after that! Although I am curious to see what happens if you avoid the torches while you have the zombie army. I was then able to get past the bridge after fighting the Jaguar Warrior and the Jaguar and used the kerosene to get the tablet translated. I enjoyed what’s available so far with the maze and King Imperius – I like how the repeated question of direction makes it feel like it a maze but the dead end options are grayed out once chosen to help the player along.
Looking forward to getting to the end of the maze!
Many thanks - I did set the gun and knuckle duster as true in startup and forgot to reset before uploading to dashingdon. We can think of this as a black friday sale on weapons until I re-upload!
You are all good for gold now, no shops where you are going next - wooooh
Here is what happens if you avoid the torches you have to cross a lake with a giant toad by hopping across lilypads. You can do this because he eats your army while you go across but you can’t collect the scroll this way and you need that
I am really pleased that the maze was not super annoying. I wrote the bit about Lady Jane telling you to make a map because I am learning from your previous feedback! This is your line basically! 
Don’t look forward to getting to the end of the maze just yet And you will need that map!
Thanks again for your very kind input
Well it took me a lot longer to finish the maze and the next part of the story, this will teach me to make work for myself I definitely would have done things differently if I had have known how much work was involved beforehand!
The maze is now complete as is the next part after that.
The story is also nearly complete now, the last chapter needs to be uploaded, this will probably take another 3 or 4 weeks based on my progress so far.
Once this is done I have a lot of rewriting and coding to do based on the excellent feedback.
I also need to implement a saving system and I can see that this is going to be technically difficult- fortunately there is great help available here
Seems crazy that a working version will be available at all. This whole exercise so far reminds me of the first time I ever ran 10 miles. It was the first time and the fastest time because every time after that I knew what was coming!
I know that there is a lot of frustration in testing this game, particularly when the MC can die and I really appreciate the help and feedback. remember, there is a Big Jewel to be won!
After escaping the maze and receiving an interesting note for my efforts, I was able to find the city of the dead. It felt very atmospheric thanks to how difficult it was for the characters to enter, the descriptions of the city itself, and the sense of time running out as we try to find the antidote. I enjoyed having to collect the correct flowers and that the book on poisons came in handy.
If there was one thing that was a bit disappointing it was how Lady Jane has to be the damsel in distress once again to reach this point in the story, especially since the MC can’t be female and be a foil to the role. Perhaps to lessen the use of that theme Sir Malcolm could also be infected like the line about him looking nearly as bad suggests – I think it would decrease the focus on Lady Jane’s role of needing the MC’s help again but also show how dangerous this city and adventure is by having both companions affected. Although it might be interesting if Sir Malcolm was the only one infected, too, as then both characters would have their moment of requiring help and show that no one in the group would have survived the journey if they had went alone. That’s just my thoughts, though. 
Also, when I began looking for the antidote there was the line “The cries from the West are much louder now.” – but this was the first time the MC entered the crossroads and he hadn’t heard any cry before then. It looks like this is due to the *set cry +1 under *label crossroads1.
I’m looking forward to that save system, especially for the maze and city sections! It’ll be nice to explore more of the bad end paths as well.
Looking forward to the last chapter!
Thanks for the superb feedback, this always gives me a boost on a Monday!
You make an excellent point about Lady Jane and I have made a massive faux pas. I will correct this as soon as possible - after I stop kicking myself!
Thank you for spotting that coding error, I got into a muddle over that as I started to factor in how far away the MC was compared to the source of the cries etc etc. In the end I went very basic (and still made an error!)
We are both looking forward to a saving system I have started getting help from the forum on this and at this stage don’t know if it is an easy thing or really complex. It is totally needed though so I won’t be able to dodge it forever.
Because the tool I wrote the game in originally is shutting down I am desperate to get everything into choicescript first before it is gone. This is why any changes are second priority and it looks like I am slow to correct things.
Your feedback is very insightful, I love it and am so pleased at how it is massively improving my writing and thought process. Even if it is putting lipstick on a pig it is Great lipstick!
I have started adding the last chapter, it’s taking a while because now all of the variables kick in and my brain explodes.
Cheers and Thanks!
Never thought we would get to this stage really but the complete game is now up on dashingdon - yay!
I am now going to be rewriting and recoding in light of the excellent feedback received, including how to make a save game facility in the code (as opposed to the save system that dashingdon already has)
If you have been holding off playing because it is frustrating to get so far and then find the game is unfinished you can now swap that feeling of frustration for another as you die unfairly instead 
