Up For The Cup (WIP)

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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So, this is my first ever ChoiceScript project, and I’m essentially using it to learn the ropes and get back into writing.

The story is based around a group of friends entering a football (soccer) competition, and associated dramas that happen both on and off the pitch during the tournament. The scale and timescale of the story are deliberately extremely small, with the action of the entire story taking place in one location, across one morning- the thinking being to use the tournament as a framework for the story’s pacing, and the events around it.

The game stats focus on the relationships with your teammates, which improve and deteriorate with the decisions you make, as well as your own approach to the tournament. These combine to ultimately lead to your success or failure as a team within the competition.

Against this backdrop is a dramatic story-long narrative with a planned twist midway through, hopefully setting up a boss-like showdown in the third act.

At the moment, the story sits at around 5k words, as I’m about halfway through the first Chapter. With the outline planned, the branching will lead to what is essentially parallel chapters depending on whether the matches are won or lost (with each chapter having different opponents and outcomes), and I’m starting now to get a handle on the script, which is letting me pick up the pace with actually writing.

Hopefully it shouldn’t be too long before I have a bit more to show to get a bit of feedback- I’d be interested in thoughts on how this could develop.

I’m also looking for a better name, as I think the current one sucks. I appreciate sports-themed stories are not everyone’s cup of tea, and acknowledge that my motivation for this one comes in part from great childhood memories of a fantastic short CYOA book entitled “Cup Heroes” that I sadly haven’t been able to find my copy of for years.

Edit: Ok, to give a better idea of what I’m going for, I’ve uploaded a version of it here if anyone’s interested. It’s pretty short, but it gives an idea of the pacing of the story, and how I intend to make one morning of football into a longer adventure. That version has a couple of placeholder endings, which will, of course, be where the story continues as I continue editing and writing.

Any thoughts very welcome.

7 Likes
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Sounds great to me so far!

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I play soccer so if you need reference i can help (my main position is goalkeeper but I was trained as a defense wing a few years ago) :wink: sounds interesting

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As a huge sports sim fan, especially the beautiful game, I’m really keen to see this pan out. I assume you’d be able to pick your position and based on that would have to make match decisions and play according to set position?

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this sounds an amazing game! I love sport… Especially football. It’s basically my life.
if you want any help whatsoever, just let me know.

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I’ve actually been wondering why no one has done a sports CS game yet (Slammed! being about the closest thing); it seems like a natural inclusion.

I’m actually a fan of sports games- it’s the team-building aspect (and stat-building). It would be nice if you get to choose to play as a striker, midfielder, defender, or goal tender (maybe even position for each possibility if you get that detailed). I like the idea of working with your teammates- actual team dynamics. How you get along with the managers, fans, any RO you’ve got in the game, the media, and so on… there’s a lot of potential for such a game, it’s all just up to how you write it. :slight_smile:

1 Like
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This is new from the ideas I see here in choice of games! I really can’t wait to see your idea in the actual game!

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Soccer? I prefer football. (Get it?)
Anyway this seems interesting even if you dislike sports the team drama intrigues me.

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Sounds interesting I like drama

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Football game, sweet. :grin: I also can’t believe a sports game hasn’t really been done yet, I love the idea of it. Good luck with this!

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Weird question… but are you going to set it in a fantasy league? Made up players and teams and stuff… or real players, teams, ect?

'Cause I’d love to be able to name my own football club. (footballclubnamegoeshere) FC. :wink:

P.S. I think I played that CYOA- wasn’t there a point where you could do a ‘Rainbow’? (ie, kick it over your head)

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The story’s very much based around guys having a kickabout in the park- all of the characters and teams are fictional.

Being able to name your side is one of the things I’ve already incorporated although, of course, your teammates may have their own thoughts on the subject…

1 Like
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Brilliant stuff, sir. :slight_smile:

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I have updated the OP with a link to a slightly earlier version of it than the current one, should anyone be interested:

http://dashingdon.com/play/lawlore/up-for-the-cup-(wip)/mygame/