Speaking from experience take a break. Don’t force it, you’ll end up regretting it. I forced myself through difficult times, stressful work and writers block. I got my stuff delayed because of it and there was about a 9-year gap between my two games which really depressed me and I just brute forced my way through to get Season Two finished.
Now although I am happy with how Season Two turned out (it still is the longest piece of fiction I’ve ever written) part of me knows that because I pushed myself too hard to break writers block that what the readers see as Season Two is in reality Seasons Two and Three in a trenchcoat masquerading as “Season Two”.
I’m learning from my mistake and trying to avoid forcing myself to write when the desire isn’t there.
Thanks Mara. I’m sure you can do it too. Just remember writing is writing whether it is a 500-word short story to a million-word IF. Write for yourself. write so you can look at it and say “I’m proud of that”, You know how much effort you put into weaving your world and that is something you can be proud of.
That was three days of ESGS, and I, a one-man army of a studio, am freaking tired as of this writing. But I assure you, meeting fellow local game developers and convention attendees alike sure is fun.
I’ve started spreading the choices to set stats out rather than the looped menu. I’m just curious does the following choice seem natural to everyone?
*comment choice_one
Magic of course was intricately weaved into your very soul, so despite you lacking your memories you are quite away of your own talents. Your primary talent lies in...
*choice
#...my capacity for magic.
With your capacity for magic you could cast multiple times in a day before having to rest.
*set well %+major_boost
*set well1 false
*goto magic_defence
#...my intuitive magic.
Magic came instinctively to you which meant it was easier to cast spells.
*set instinct %+major_boost
*set instinct1 false
*goto magic_defence
#...my magical techniques.
You were a quick learner and often mastered new techniques with a day of being taught it.
*set technique %+major_boost
*set technique1 false
*goto magic_defence
#...my casting speed.
Your casting was always swifter than most of your fellow witches you grew up with.
*set casting %+major_boost
*set casting1 false
*goto magic_defence
#...hexes.
Your talent with hexes was astounding, it came so naturally to you.
*set hexes %+major_boost
*set hexes1 false
*goto magic_defence
*comment choice_two
*label magic_defence
Because of that, you can't wrap around how the rogue hunters got passed your defences. Especially with...
*choice
*if (well1)
#...my capacity for magic.
With your capacity for magic your barrier spells could last for days. So the hunters must have been powerful.
*set well %+major_boost
*set well1 false
*goto meow
*if (instinct1)
#...my intuitive magic.
Magic came instinctively to you which is why it was hard to believe someone could get through your barrier without alerting you.
*set instinct %+major_boost
*set instinct1 false
*goto meow
*if (technique1)
#...my magical techniques.
Your barrier techniques were considered almost perfect by your colleagues so the hunters who got through them must have been powerful.
*set technique %+major_boost
*set technique1 false
*goto meow
*if (casting1)
#...my casting speed.
Even if they could get through the barrier with your casting speed you would have kept repairing it. So the hunters must have been powerful.
*set casting %+major_boost
*set casting1 false
*goto meow
*if (hexes1)
#...my talent for hexes.
While your barriers weren't particularly powerful you talent with hexes allowed you to weave some into your barriers.
*set hexes %+major_boost
*set hexes1 false
*goto meow
*comment choice_three
However, the Elder Witch intercepts you before you reach the young witch. You stop yourself feeling her magic wash over you.
*choice
*if (well1)
#Her capacity for magic was impressive.
The Elder Witch was the strongest witch in the Coven so it was obvious she would have an impressive Well of magic.
*set well %+minor_boost
*set well1 false
*goto bound1
*if (instinct1)
#Her magic felt like it was part of her.
The Elder Witch was the strongest witch in the Coven so obviously her magic was impressive.
*set instinct %+minor_boost
*set instinct1 false
*goto bound1
*if (technique1)
#Her techniques left little waste in her spell.
The Elder Witch was obviously the strongest in the Coven so her techniques would obviously be the most powerful.
*set technique %+minor_boost
*set technique1 false
*goto bound1
*if (casting1)
#Her casting speed was almost instantaneous.
The Elder Witch was the strongest in the Coven and the speed she could cast spells was the reason why.
*set casting %+minor_boost
*set casting1 false
*goto bound1
*if (hexes1)
#Her hexes were impressive.
The Elder Witch was the strongest in the Coven and you could see those hexes mixed with that wave.
*set hexes %+minor_boost
*set hexes1 false
*goto bound1
Edited to add the previous two choices that set the stats just so people can compare them.
The choices given are interesting, but at a quick glance, I gotta ask: is there any choice, or are all options singular based on a variable being true?
Perhaps multiple variables will be true so more than one option will be available, in which case everything seems fine.
The way the code works it the first choice that sets your stats sets one of the five to false then on the next stat setting choice you will have 4 options, then 3, then 2 choices (although for this choice I’m planning to still offer couple of choices to set the increase. The fifth stat will get set after the fourth one is set (from whichever one is still true).
Edited my previous post to include the other two choices that set stats. So the first choice you have five options, the next choice you will have three and the original Elder Witch choice you would have three options. Then the next will have to set one of two variables leaving the final variable to be set from whats left.
There’s a fun conversation ongoing over at the “underused tropes” thread about the Tiffany Problem – how things that sound like anachronisms to us are in fact much older than we think (like the name Tiffany) – and I thought I’d pop up a link here to draw writers’ attention to it.
@TSSL linked to another forum thread on the subject that included a terrific note mining the memoirs of Pierre de Commynes for things that might strike a reader as surprisingly modern/civilized – a nice counterbalance to some of the more simplistic grimdark tropes about the European middle ages.
And it reminded me of an essay by David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas) about the process of writing a historical novel. The whole thing is worth reading, but the part that stuck with me is about the difficult trick of writing in “Bygonese” dialect:
Getting the right flavor of Bygonese is a challenge for fantasy as well as historical novelists, though in the former case you only have to worry about being plausible rather than accurate. But the pitfall of “phoniness and pastiche” lurks pretty close to the surface for us fantasists too.
Edit: And speaking of being caught out by an anachronism: I really didn’t think this was a car reference!
I would not have guessed that “lie low” is around 700 years older than “low profile.”
Funny thing is, there was a recent research about Finnish greeting words which showed how one word that was presumed modern might actually be medieval. Timing!
I am in a weird emotional spiral, On one hand, I am excited about known and announce the top five voted games on the jam. On the other hand, I am nervous and sad to see the jam ending and afraid people are disappointed with it.
Then to start thinking about if next year needs a jam or not.
This jam seems to have been really successful, with plenty of interesting and thought-provoking entries - I had a great time playing the games created for it.
I had a lot of fun with the jam. First time I’ve completed something in choicescript in years, so I count it as a win however the vote turns out. I’ve also had more feedback than on most of my longer projects from way back. It just goes to show what does and doesn’t catch readers’ attention.
This is totally understandable; it was a great jam. Just do your best not to worry about hypothetical disappointed people, when you’ve got so many known satisfied ones. It’s my first game jam, and I really enjoyed it.
This year’s jam was the best since the jams that were done years ago; all of your hard work and effort shows, Mara.
Everyone who entered was supported wonderfully by yourself, and I’m sure that you can build on this for next year with no problem.
I, too, read all the entries, and it was very neat to experience eight different entries, all of which I thought showcased the diversity of our community.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IVE BEEN MULLING OVER THIS WHOLE TIME. There are entire novels wehre the translations seem perfect to me, and don’t sound stilted or broken or worse, jibberish, and THAT is what I’mt rying to form my “Bygonese” into! Ugh, thank you for showing me this!
And thank you for all your hard work and sacrifice, making the Jam great!
For some reason, I think my writing is stronger in Bygonese. Whenever I write something contemporary, it just feels cringey. I don’t know if it’s actually worse, or if my suspension of disbelief is just lower.
It’s my first game jam, and I really enjoyed it.