I don’t think should be described as I see myself in game to something that probably no more people will imagine. The bast power of imagination is more throughout than anything else.
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I think for feedback purposes, it is essential that Sam describe the “model” MC he has in mind for this game, even if he intends the MC to be a “blank slate.”
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Yeah, usually I leave the MC’s appearance up to the imagination. In power fantasies like MMM, I do say concretely that they’re tall and fit, but with Skeletons, I’ll likely leave it unspecified.
@loveless
Sorry our discussion had to go this route. Neither of us wanted that. I do appreciate your thoughts and I consider them valuable. But it’s my opinion that you are no longer being helpful.
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Cute cat btw
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A lot of my games have more set MCs, but that’s mostly with the villain games. Most of my games have MCs with more personality than the “blank slate” style, but I think this mainly has to do with my narration style. I think this MC is kinda undetermined like with my other “hero mc games.”
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This is the second warning.
Please: if you see disrespectful posts please do not reply to them. Rather please use the report feature and let forum staff de-escalate friction.
This discussion is important to have but we must stay civil to each other in having it.
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Welp.
How are you guys likin the game?
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I’m ok with it chapter 2 will solidify whether or not I like it.
So imma just gonna wait for the update, all the while worry if your gonna focus on this one for a while or return to one of the others.
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The story so far seems interesting. I can definitely see this going in multiple different downward spirals. The personality of the writing is hard to place. I guess I would call it snarky? Cynicism? or just sarcasm. It’s an interesting tone when mixed with the kind of everyday lifestyle dialogue you’re working with, although I definitely wouldn’t consider it unpleasant. It’s unique in its own right, although I hope the personality doesn’t clash with your intention to make the MC a blank slate in its own right.
The choice on whether or not to smoke weed, for example, has options that are extremely specific, even giving justifications in their own accord, rather than the simple decline or accept proposal option.
I don’t consider this bad, but if I read the conversation correctly it doesn’t seem like the MC is revolving far away from already holding a distinct personality as its instilled in the narration without choice. I understand this mostly has to do with your narrative style, of which I do enjoy, but I think you’re going past the goal you set out here with the blank slate right now. I have every hope that can be mended, or the MC is given that distinct personality instead. Either one can work in your style.
That’s just my personal assessment from the initial read, sorry if it was overly long!
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So far. The story is giving me a I know what you did last summer kind of vibe. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
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I’m worried about that too. 
@LeoXII
Well, the funny thing is most of my games sit somewhere between a defined MC and a blank slate MC, so there’s always going to be some definition there.
I don’t like when the MC walks around being an opionless, thoughtless, stale heel of bread like in a lot of CSGs, the only exception being when they get a bunch of choices to clarify their stances. But that can get very exhausting very quickly and it’s a bit jarring because of the sharp contrast.
So I generally prefer to give the MC choices for to act towards others and how to solve problems, while still taking some liberties and adding more flavor that may or may not be exactly what the reader envisioned.
As I mentioned before, I also enjoy making more set MCs, but so far, that has only been necessary with my villain games like MMM or The Funny Thing About Nothing.
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I personally think that instead a one distinct personality should be several same several goals. That is not only a way to increase replay value is a way to allow further player agency. If character has a totally set in stone personality player agency is by definition reduced so a middle ground could be interesting. For instance i am all for an ambitious pc focused in trying become rich and enter elite. Others would be something else entirely.
@Samuel_H_Young When i playing your games i have noticed that my character end acting far more submissive that i have in mind… and shy. But probably because i am the other side of spectrum so middle sounds like shy for me
I will plainly admit that replay value is never a big concern for me when I’m making my games. Here’s a post I made about this subject a while back.
It might sound crass, because it is, but I basically don’t care if my games are linear or if every feasible reaction isn’t employed in an option. As long as I have made an interesting story with strong characters and varied fake choices that allow the MC to react to characters and situations differently, I’m happy.
Like, Skeletons isn’t about ambition or climbing social ladders or becoming rich, so I’m not too worried about adding those kinds of choices in. It’s about a group of friends who accidentally kill a guy and then have to cover up his death. They need to keep their crimes hidden, all while struggling with the guilt and traumatization of the disaster.
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That’s a personal totally valid opinion. However CHOICE of games not FIXED of games. If all variables and all concepts are fixed in a stone what is the point?
I mean i don’t see any of them as a friend. They are quite toxic and acting like rebels stupid teens planksters. A choice to hate them is a obvious choice to me because I don’t understand how anyone could be want be friend of them. For me role-playing is a key factor of buying the games if I found that all choices are exactly same with a minimum change I don’t see the point.
The chapter you has shown… Has no really difference in how development of a character in my opinion. Nor different personality. And no real choice to wonder how i ended with people like this as … friends? Very well written but as is at the beginning of creative process too linear. When several more choices and more flavour choices appear in place game will be far better.
But lol If I can’t say that they are not really my friends and my mother forced me go with them… there is no way for me seen credible I could get near of these people… But that’s just me.
May I ask how…? Aside from Gus, obviously. And even he hasn’t acted tremendously bad yet.
We already discussed how I was going to add more options to chapter one.
Tbh, this method is nothing different than I’ve done for any of my other games, except for TMB, which had hidden mini-scenes. It’s not like I’m making a drastic change for how I’ve gone about formatting my stories for the past several years.
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Oh no i am not saying that is a change or anything. lol. And as i said this is really early in development to have a big array of flavour choices and different personal paths. I was talking about a general view of demo so far.
About characters i have a very distinct view of people and i am not compatible with many people. The caricatured writing is wonderful but tends to present people in a twisted light. Adorable for me Sound like a resentful hippie. Then gus is gross the others seem obsessed to be more jerk than the others or want bang everything around…
Fascinating view. However in character I don’t see anything that could empathize with them to point even considering be in same car. when they show their real personalities That would certainly change
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I get that. They have big personalities that make most people either love or hate them. But I was just under the impression you were saying they were wicked and evil or something.
Those are fascets of their real personalities, but like most people, each character is complicated.
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Oh. No They are teens in a forest no Donald Trump lol. They are just like how was the program called Jackass? Those that do weird jokes and accidents in videos
Exactly. 
You just said
which confused me.
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I will change phrase and is a real language barrier… I was refering to like bad boys and rebel teens not like monsters or mobsters. I totally could believe they had the accident because they were recording one of those youtube video were they drive doing weird stuff
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