Wayhaven (I haven’t finished FH to speak about it) also has a lot of choices, including outfit and apartment style choices, just like in Sherlock. And these choices add a lot of flavour text which make selecting them rewarding and satisfying (i.e. your choices matter), which is what Doriana seems to want to do with Sherlock as well.
Non-linear games are also liked by people, it’s just a matter of personal preference. Example is The Evertree Saga, which appears to be well-liked by the community (I personally love it too).
Agree to disagree then
I think it’s because other people agree with your pros so they don’t feel the need to comment on them. I also agree with your pros (apart from Golden comparisons).
If I wanted to read a linear Sherlock Holmes story, would I not simply just read one of the original Sherlock Holmes stories or one of the hundreds of Sherlock Holmes fanfictions?
Jolly Good : Cakes and Ale is also very popular, in fact, it is my most favourite COG/HG game bar none. Yet it has a lot of choices and the author has implemented them masterfully.
I suppose in the end, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I personally would prefer more choices than not.
Because calling it “Wayhaven clone” is very disrespectful and hurtful to the author. It’s not helpful to speak in such language when trying to give constrictive criticism. But we should stop mentioning other WIPs, mods have already warned us.
Notice how no one is criticizing your pros. That’s because we agree with your pros.
But with the cons, what you see as cons, I or someone else may see as pros. So, of course I’ll rush to defend them. Because I would like to continue to see them implemented in the story.
Besides, if you’re going to criticize something, of course you also open yourself to feedback from other people regarding that. If they support your position, they’ll say supportive stuff, if they don’t support your position, they’ll also make that known. It is just that you have picked a position that’s not really much popular with this community, from what I’ve seen so far.
It’s up to you to defend your position in the matter. Same goes for me or anyone else in this community really.
This is an official reminder to omit direct comparisons to other’s works (ie Wayhaven and Fallen Hero) to help keep the focus on constructive and actionable feedback for this WiP.
Doriana’s quote from this post: “At first, Mycroft was only going to appear in letters throughout the game, but I’ve had so many people wanting to meet them and having interactions that I am trying to increase their role a bit.”
I’m curious: what’s everyone’s favorite piece of Sherlock media?
Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective movie (which was based on the children’s book series Basil of Baker Street which was in turn based on Sherlock Holmes lol) is one of my favorite movies from them.
I remember the books themselves being a very fun read as well - though it has been a while since I’ve read them.The TV series with Benedict Cumberbatch and the Robert Downy Jr movies were also very enjoyable to watch.
Also not sure if this is just me but in the game did they ever describe Lestrade’s and Watson’s hair color and skin tone? I think the author missed this or maybe I did.
I only remember eye colour.
@Suwariish Oh yeah the Sherlock movies and tv shows were fire. Enola Holmes got good reviews but nobody really likes it because they said Sherlock and Mycroft were portrayed as idiots. I never watched it so I can’t comment though, anybody watched it?
I feel like its a kids movie thats why I skipped it.
I’m going to confess that I have never read or watched anything about Sherlock Holmes. I decided to give this WIP a try because I heard that it has an extensive character creator, and it’s something I really like. It shows how good this WIP is, because even if you’re not a fan of Sherlock, you can still enjoy this story immensely.
I really love the books ever since I read the Hound of the Baskerville when I was in grade school. I read all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. Definitely enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s performance as Sherlock and Watson.
I haven’t tried out Frogware’s Sherlock Holmes games but I remember getting a bunch of it from Steam Sale. I better get into it.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Case of Let’s See How Many Words I Can Cram in a Single Book Title, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
looks at timer for City of Lies
Mycroft is the one Sherlock character that, regardless of the Sherlock version, is consistently an even bigger ass than Sherlock. Sherlock basically telling him to go drop dead is my favourite part of the Crimes and Punishments ending.
I’m on that last of the series so far (Chapter One, which is chronologically the first), the series has its ups and downs (the first are ROUGH; Pearl Earring has a couple of pixel hunting parts, and it would crash for me every time I tried to leave a certain location without doing everything possible), but I really love the mechanics change from Crimes and Punishments onwards (Devil’s Daughter is a bit of a downgrade from C&P, imo, because it’s just so much heavier on the system for no gain and the character looks were redesigned for, imo, the worse), but I’d call the series an overall winner.
Play them on release order, not chronological order, because there’s a big technological difference, and feel free to DM me if you have any questions or need any help. (no, I don’t know what happened to Barnes)
For you personally, is the issue more the choice overload (making it feel tiresome too choose / adding anxiety with choice / confusion etc) or that you worry that the choices can’t be referenced?
To me, the issue of y or z being referenced enough is more of an individual problem—per thing we are referencing—and most of the time I have a plan in place and sometimes it should probably be limited—-- However, creating choice overload could be a whole game issue and something I worry about a lot!
If we solely focus on choice overload–
could a solution be to format more choices similarly to minimise the original reading?
Usually I try and format most choices uniquely, despite maybe being mostly small differences—
but perhaps it would be more automatic and easier to read it more formulaic
very bad rushed examples:
Unique version (imagine maybe 3 hate ones 3 like and 1-2 neutral)
They are insufferable and I have always disliked them, but to tease them is fun
Dullest being I am forced to know; more than anything I wish they would leave me alone
I HATE I HATE I HATE
Formulaic version (imagine maybe 3 hate ones 3 like and 1-2 neutral)
I really dislike them, but teasing them is fun
I really dislike them, I wish they would leave me alone
I really dislike them, oh how I dislike them.
Is this sort of grouping helpful (considering Choicescript doesn’t allow radio button grouping)? I was thinking maybe this type of situation could maybe help choice overload as it minimises reading and makes it a bit more mental compact maybe?
On the topic of limiting choices. Hmm, I think it would depend on the place. I feel form most of them have a plan to how to reference them / or a good reason for them to be there For example, the only coping I have issue with putting good references in is the berating one–and that’s only because I feel bad disabling the worst or cruellest options to only one vice I have an idea on how to still get more use of that vice but it isn’t implemented yet.
referencing choices
I think, for me, the why is to give MC roleplaying possibilities. I reckon I do go over board sometimes, but I lean more towards that type of branching than story branching. I’d rather have a lot of MC/Flavour/RO variation than having a thing where it says “go A or go B” that’s only really interesting on replays. + I think I just think it’s fun to create! But if there was any particular choice or variation I could tell you my plan of referencing. Usually you don’t have to always write x-times unique lines, but you can group them, or have many ways of doing it that still feels good to the reader. My favourite philosophy is probably “bring it up when you expect that it would be”.
Oh, ok so the clothing one I have a plan—and it will function something like this
each clothing has two colours + a unique name + an adjective (some which are shared) + is a favourite of an RO + what pieces of clothing it has. So with this, without doing any unique lines, but rather grouped references, we can write:
“you charming outfit / your very daring outfit” (adjective based)
“your dress/suit” (direct reference)
“your pants / skirt.” (direct reference)
“as a dress/skirt is not proper for anything but sidesaddle” (boolean based)
“The (blue) in your eyes match your dress.” (if statement with eye colour)
“I love your outfit, it is very (…)” (boolean on RO preference)
And that’s without too much effort! Isn’t that cool
Thooo—I’ve actually been thinking if maybe my approach to the accessory is wrong.
I had a system for it too-- I was gonna reference it like this:
What type of item / what purpose / from who.
But I was thinking of maybe expanding its use + I didn’t like how I grouped it–would have preferred it to have it on one page. So I’ll probably make it fewer as u said
I tbh couldn’t answer this haha–I think it would be subjective. I like both games a lot!
The next chapter until chapter 7 are quite slow–tho next one technically houses the inciting incident-- and in length the next 3 chapters are basically one chapter. then chapter 7 is more like chapter 1 in that it is an investigation + a ball.
Not sure I agree Pride and prejudice is very romance focused, making the MCs romance be the story structure – and it works perfectly imo and I think an IF could do the same if it wanted to.
I might have to minimise the name anyway sadly because the hosted game needs something like max 30 characters. In that case I was thinking “Sherlock - An affair of the heart” if they don’t count spaces. Thoughts?
I… am suprised? lol, I was pretty sure my writing was basically this:
niceeee ! I’d love to hear if you think the next RO feels different enough It’s a worry I have that when you have a good relationship everyone are basically kinda and respectful and samey-same
thanks for the feedback! Let me know if you have any more — and please please please be brutal — u were too nice lol
Yeah! I’ve been thinking of doing this once I’m further in–I realised my chapter structure didn’t make sense for the readers and was only structured that because of the story structure I use. Probably will do It like this:
prologue (one page in the beginning)
character creator
chapter 1 (chapter 1)
chapter 2 (chapter 2 and 3)
chapter 3 (chapter 4, 5, 6)
chapter 4 (chapter 7)
I am quite obsessed with flavour text yeh its my favourite thing to create
As some of the characters all have so many renditions and canon I tried to keep some things a little open.
Lestrade has : dark hair and eyes
W: blue eyes
oH? I am not familiar with that term–gonna google it!
(edit: I didn’t find anything on pink writing )
I decided to give this WIP a try because I heard that it has an extensive character creator, and it’s something I really like. It shows how good this WIP is, because even if you’re not a fan of Sherlock, you can still enjoy this story immensely.
(no, I don’t know what happened to Barnes)
For example, the only coping I have issue with putting good references in is the berating one–and that’s only because I feel bad disabling the worst or cruellest options to only one vice 
I have an idea on how to still get more use of that vice but it isn’t implemented yet.
But if there was any particular choice or variation I could tell you my plan of referencing. Usually you don’t have to always write x-times unique lines, but you can group them, or have many ways of doing it that still feels good to the reader. My favourite philosophy is probably “bring it up when you expect that it would be”.
and I think an IF could do the same if it wanted to.
because the hosted game needs something like max 30 characters. In that case I was thinking “Sherlock - An affair of the heart” if they don’t count spaces. Thoughts?
thanks for the feedback! Let me know if you have any more — and please please please be brutal — u were too nice lol 
its my favourite thing to create