With choice of games we are all drawn to something. Whether it’s the replay value, character customization, or even the thickened plot. Something draws us to all games, but what is it? I’m beginning the process of creating a game myself, and I’m looking for several principal components that go with creating a great game. What do we, as readers, look for when playing a Choice or Hosted game? Please comment below.
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So I think there are three main categories: narrative, mechanics and range of choice.
For example the Sabres of Infinity series has my favorite narrative but Community College Hero has my vote for mechanics and the Lost Heirs trilogy for range of choices.
More specifically I am very fond of character development (be it the MC’s or NPC’s), world building and feeling like choices significantly affect the story not just my stats. On a lesser note I am a sucker for good romance options (Dirty Girl you break my heart).
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So, are you looking for characteristics used in games that you could implement in your game?
Personally, a juicy plot always draws me in. Of course, there has to be a good amount of choice-making, as it’s an IF. Having developed characters always helps too, because I love having characters that I can connect with- they’re pivotal to a story. (It’s also nice to find a character you really like and can romance 
)
Or even if the story is told in a unique way, like how Choice of Dragons starts out. So basically the main selling point for me is the story.
(I also really appreciate good grammar and spelling in a story, too, lol)
As for character customization, I found this thread a few days ago: Customizable appearance: How important do you find it? - #11 by BoltSterling where people gave their opinions on customization’s importance to them. I for one like having at least basic customization, as it helps me cement my character in the game.
Replayability is…a really interesting thing. Most CoGs I don’t replay right after I finish- I might decide to play it again months later if I loved the story. But as long as the story was fulfilling and left me satisfied, then replayability is not an issue and I’d call that a great game.
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Well written characters especially dynamic characters along with an intriguing plot make story great.
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In my opinion, a good plot and the integration of ROs to the said plot is key. While sometimes I can play through an entire choice game without romancing anyone, it’s usually due to the fact that the story is so good that I actually forget about the romance, though I personally believe that adding interesting ROs to the game adds a certain flavor to it. I, for one, am a complete sucker for ROs. A good plot and a good RO is instant bait for me.
However, the game actually has to catch my eye first, if you get me. An interesting title and an even more interesting icon is the first thing that draws me in, but after that, if I find the story bland or uninteresting then I tend to stop immediately and never open the game again.
tldr; the way I see it, the most important things to consider in your games is first and foremost plot, followed by your splash art and such. Romance can be pushed aside if the story is good enough, but it’s always appreciated.
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First of all,the title is really important.You need a title that draws attention so the reader notices your work.Then you need a good narrative plot,in order to make the reader stick with the book. Good grammar helps for people like me who can’t afford common your and you’re mistakes (even though I keep reading but I don’t enjoy them as much) and a little romance won’t hurt!
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Thank you for your comment! I was really pondering what I could do more of. I institute red herrings, things to throw the reader off but try to draw them back in, but I felt that something was missing. I didn’t develop anyone spoken to, I simply introduced a new character by name. Character descriptions probably would be a required component.
I just had flashbacks to community college hero and cried a little bit but thank you for your comment. Lol do you think a game with all of these components is possible though? Or just very difficult?
Characters and ROs seem to be the theme around here so those seem like they’ve been key so far. Thank you for your comment.
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Super difficult but possible if you’re willing to invest a very large amount of time and effort. The hardest part I think is probably the range of choices because if you make sure that the choices affect the story then the more choices you have the more you have to write whilst still keeping the narrative interesting and making sure the mechanics work so it’s almost like writing several stories in parallel.
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