Oh
Thanks for the interest in Orphan, andymwhy!
@Zed Like I said, everything is subject to change including the ship name. If you have any suggestions for a new ship name, feel free.
For now, I will be keeping it in until I figure out a better name. In the meantime, time to crack on with the writing! Should hopefully have a decent sized update today for the prologue.
for the ship name call it the U.S.S Enterprise. no I joke how about Hardtug?
That sounds really negative
About the name Dawnstar, the enforcement of copyright relies on that ability for the damaged party (the people that own the copyright) to prove that the people who are infringing the copyright are actually stealing material. Read the second paragraph here: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Scope). If Dawnstar was the name of a city, sure, thereād be some merit to such a claim, but as the name of a ship, well, Google the word āDawnstarā. Whatās the first link? Elder Scrolls, right? Now, the second? A Wikipedia link to a Marval Character. Dawnstar itself isnāt identifiable enough to fall under copyright in such a way.
The main beef with the Scrolls case was that Scrolls looked a lot like Skyrim, while bearing a confuseable name with The Elder Scrolls. Check out the trailer for Scrolls. Definitely looks like it took a lot of its look from the vikings, just like Skyrim, right? Thatās what the fight was about. Hereās a decent look at the reasoning for the lawsuit (http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/08/elder-scrolls-vs-minecraft-dev-scrolls-is-our-word/). Note what they keep alluding too. Itās about people confusing the two. Thatās ultimately what a lawsuit would be fought over. No oneās likely to confuse these two uses of the word Dawnstar.
(Plus, it was actually a trademark dispute. That a whole a different kind of fight than a copyright dispute, even if people confuse the two so often.) Still wouldnāt put it pass Bethesda to try anyways. e.e
As for coming up with names/ideas in general, I highly recommend Seventh Sanctum (http://www.seventhsanctum.com/) Here (http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=shipnamer) is a ship namer.
Update:
-Expanded the rigging scene.
a)added two death scenes.
b)added the random function
c)added luck as a hidden stat.
Still unfinished. I had a few issues with coding which delayed me but I am now working on the below deck scene and making it across the crates scene. Those parts should be done much quicker now thereās no longer any coding errors.
Then once those are done, you will encounter your first major event which is where any decisions you make will be remembered for good or ill and will have long lasting consequences.
Re: the random function. My reasoning is this - I think this is potentially justifed because the game is in the early phase so a failure at this point is ok. As you proceed, there will be a save system at the end of the prologue.
i also want the player to realise that most of your choices you make has a chance at success or failure with the potential of death. The prologue will set up your base stats and after the prologue, the chance of failure/success will depend on your stats.
If you donāt have the correct stats to pass a checkpoint, you can still try. In this way, even if you succeed, you wonāt necessary get the full reward and it may even be botched compared to having the skills to get past a checkpoint and be fully successfully and thus reap the rewards.
I think this method gives the player freedom to choose what they want to do and if they want to take the risk on a dangerous choice with or without the necessary stats.
Right now in the prologue, there is not much you can do to influence whether your actions succeed or not but I hope this encourages the player to choose different routes for their playthrough. After the prologue, your stats will either increase the chance of succeeding or guarantee it.
Currently the random function affects whether you succeed in making it across the rope, whether the sailor notices you or not and whether he believes what you say or not.
I am not quite happy with the way the two death scenes are written so this will likely be re-written.
Would love any feedback on the rigging scene.
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Just did a check to make sure everything is working correctly and it mostly is except for the fact that when you die and choose to try again, it carries over your stats from the previous playthough.
Trying to fix this but I am stumped. If anyone knows how to make it return to the start without keeping the stats, let me know.
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Are you using the *ending command when the protagonist suffers a fatality? That inserts a āPlay Againā button and should do the trick without any problems.
Perfect! Thanks, Vendetta. That solved the issue.
Updated again.
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I did most of the rigging options, and did not come across any game-stopping errors. Found my first death scene though when I tried to cross over before the guy looked up. I thought the death scene was well written, describing the fall through emptiness and the sailor trying to catch you. Very nice, especially since he totally ratted me out when I did the āclose my eyes and hope he doesnāt see meā option.
Is that the one where you slipped out into the sea? Thereās actually another way to die but itās using the random function. That means if you try to repeat the choice itās not boring! Hopefully.
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Thatās interestingā¦I did it again, and with the same choices, made it across the rigging safely. Thatās interesting that in one alternative, you die but through the same choices, there is another that has you live. That could be really cool or become incredibly frustrating lol. It certainly adds a twist.
Out of the three choices to either climb the rigging, go below deck or attempt to cross the ship - only the rigging choice has a chance of death.
I thought it made sense since youāre a 11 year old child that has never climbed a rigging before plus it was a great opportunity to have a death scene early to show the potential risks. If it doesnāt make sense let me know. I hate any inconsistencies.
It certainly makes senseā¦first time I played your game I didnāt choose rigging because I was sure he would fall. What effect does the different choices have for the rigging? I always chose the ādo it slow and safeā one. Are the outcomes different for choosing to cross it quickly?
For now, itās just flavour text.
Itās my solution for choices that would use your stats to get past but since the Orphan has no skills at the beginning and needs to develop them, they are a fake choice. During the prologue, the Orphan will develop his skills and then the normal stat checks will replace those.
You will know when you get fake choices if there are only two choices instead of the standard three or more e.t.c. If I am going to use them, I want it to be very transparent.
Hmm. I like the game so far. *Adds it into the āCyoaās Iām looking forward toā list* But I have one question, is there gonna be any romance? 
Looks great, though because of the hour in my country I didnāt give it much thought; I know, a horrible thing. But I do hope to play the full version, it seems interesting.
@CountDon Orphan deals with the whole issue of growing up so romance is definitely planned but I am not sure how far I intend to go because writing romance is not a strong skill of mine.
@VoodooDolly Not a problem! Itās really bare bones right now but you can check back in a week or so for the full prologue.
Just out of curiosity, do you intend to do more of the random outcome in the future of the game? I think it is a really cool idea, but my only concern comes from that I, and probably the average player, would not expect to (when playing a game a second time) choose the same options and get different outcomes. Now, that is not me saying you should change it, that is just me wondering how it will continue to work moving forward in the game.
@wolfwriter20 I am currently experimenting with the random function for the prologue.
I want to use it to make the story seem a little more alive. This is mainly geared toward replayablity. As for taking it further than the prologue, I am not sure. I will have to gauge the reactions of players and then make a decision. So donāt be afraid to tell me if you hate it. I want to know what you think.
To quote above - it currently affects whether you succeed in making it across the rope, whether the sailor notices you or not and whether he believes what you say or not.
The one thing they have in common is that they should be stat checks based on what skills you have which is something that you will have by the end of the prologue.
Itās also minor things like the death scenes where it affects which one you got. Thatās why I am unsure about taking it further than the prologue.
To keep it short, it will be limited to the prologue. However, I want to use the random function somehow but I want it to make sense within the context of the story and character without taking major control away from you. I am thinking about using it for little things like text changes for the scenery where it has no gameplay effects e.t.c Still havenāt made my mind up yet so who knows!