# Stopped Before I Start **URL:** \ **Category:** Game Development\ **Created:** [December 22, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636 "2018-12-22T21:50:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kckolbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@kckolbe](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/kckolbe)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/1 "2018-12-22T21:50:50Z")
I went through the site ChoiceScript guide, but I feel like I am missing the most basic things. How do I set up the gender choice in the script, or have them input a name? I saw how to do a fake choice, but how do I do a choice that changes a variable yet doesn’t affect which story route is followed? I’m asking because I am about finished with my outline for a game I want to write, but am not sure how to get going. ---
**Author:** ![Szaal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/szaal/32/112202_2.png) [@Szaal](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Szaal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/2 "2018-12-22T22:02:39Z")
First thing 1st, have you understand how to setup the work environment? Unpacking the .rar file, declaring variables, creating the .txt-s. ---
**Author:** ![kckolbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@kckolbe](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/kckolbe)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/3 "2018-12-22T22:37:14Z")
Yes. I did a very simple set-up with a couple of stats and one very basic choice path, to include one fake choice and one branching one, just nothing where a choice affected a name, gender, or ability. ---
**Author:** ![Vox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/vox/32/111844_2.png) [@Vox](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Vox)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/4 "2018-12-22T22:38:46Z")
Have you checked out the play-by-play tutorials on the [wiki](http://choicescriptdev.wikia.com/wiki/ChoiceScript_Wiki)? They’re pretty helpful, and feature things like changing variables, etc. ---
**Author:** ![kckolbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@kckolbe](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/kckolbe)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/5 "2018-12-22T22:42:57Z")
I didn’t know about these links at all, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![hustlertwo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/hustlertwo/32/34230_2.png) [@hustlertwo](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/hustlertwo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/6 "2018-12-23T01:03:26Z")
I always suggest this thread I made for my first game, I ask a lot of super basic questions that might be some of the ones you have. > [@Ultimate Noob Coding](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/ultimate-noob-coding/28655): > > I struggle to thing of someone more noobish than myself when it comes to coding anything. So I figured one thread may be best to contain all my inane queries. First up: I decided to try and code the first little intro chapter I have, but I literally have gotten stuck on the first line. I’ve never used Notepad++ before, and the line I’m typing seems to go on forever. Should I hit return to jump to the next, and if so, how often? ---
**Author:** ![kckolbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@kckolbe](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/kckolbe)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/7 "2018-12-23T01:31:34Z")
I get the idea of having a thread for questions, but due to how this site displays threads, control+f doesn’t work in them, making them hard to search for questions. Has anyone posted the code to one of the published games so I can see the code and context? Every published game has you choose a name and gender, yet somehow that isn’t addressed in the tutorial (a really frustrating oversight, in my opinion). Too many examples are one-line snippets which are as likely to confuse as explain. ---
**Author:** ![peaches](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/peaches/32/95816_2.png) [@peaches](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/peaches)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/8 "2018-12-23T01:37:03Z")
If I can make a suggestion I would definately use CSIDE to write your game. More about that [here](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/cside-the-choicescript-ide/27622). There’s a very in-depth interactive tutorial and handy game templates where you can easily see how the code and the game display interact. ---
**Author:** ![Szaal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/szaal/32/112202_2.png) [@Szaal](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Szaal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/9 "2018-12-23T01:43:39Z")
> [@kckolbe](#): > > Every published game has you choose a name and gender, yet somehow that isn’t addressed in the tutorial (a really frustrating oversight, in my opinion). I don’t think this is necessary, as character creation is as basic as assigning a value to variables. * * * In case of name ```choicescript What is your name? *choice #Bob *set name "Bob" #Not Bob *set name "Not Bob" #Enter your own name Type in your name *input_text name ``` For gender, simply use the same snippet, but swap all the variables and value to your need accordingly. To call/print/display the value of a variable, use the `${variable}` command in your normal text. ---
**Author:** ![MeltingPenguins](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/meltingpenguins/32/255855_2.png) [@MeltingPenguins](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/MeltingPenguins)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/10 "2018-12-23T01:43:51Z")
You can see the code for every game by bringing it up in the browser and adding /scenes/startup.txt Or /mygame/scenes/startup.txt behind the games name. In wips on dashingdon (or if you unlocked a published game on here) you can view all of the code available by replacing startup in the address bar with the scenefiles name (or choicescript\_stats.txt) to view the stats file. If you have not unlocked a published game on here, you can view all files not marked with $. Edit. 1. You can unlock a game you already bought elsewhere by sending the receipts to the support after creating a login on the page (not the same as having a forum account) 2. Here’s as example the startup for _The Hero Unmasked!_ : [https://www.choiceofgames.com/hero-unmasked/scenes/startup.txt](https://www.choiceofgames.com/hero-unmasked/scenes/startup.txt) And for my own game: [https://dashingdon.com/play/meltingpenguins/curious-cuisine/mygame/scenes/startup.txt](https://dashingdon.com/play/meltingpenguins/curious-cuisine/mygame/scenes/startup.txt) ---
**Author:** ![kckolbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@kckolbe](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/kckolbe)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/11 "2018-12-23T17:59:10Z")
Thank you so much for this. This walkthrough with an example for reference, was exactly what I needed. I downloaded it last night, and am a couple of lessons in now. ---
**Author:** ![peaches](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/peaches/32/95816_2.png) [@peaches](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/peaches)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/stopped-before-i-start/47636/12 "2018-12-23T18:05:18Z")
No problem! I’m glad I could help.