Hello everyone, I have a question for you! I already have some ideas for the story of a new game, but I decided to ask you first what you like in a game. If you have suggestions or nice ideas, feel free to share them here with me. I also hope that you can help me with more good ideas, and I will then think about what I can implement. During that time, I will also focus on refining and expanding the ideas I already have based on your feedback and suggestions.
Please note that English is not my first language. In my game, I would like to focus on themes and values that align with my beliefs and the project. For me, spiritual, moral, and positive messages are important, and of course, there will also be fantasy elements.
Thank you for your help and understanding! I wish you a great time.
Player Agency, this is one of my favorite story elements of having the reader immerse themselves with their character or Roleplay their character as they wish. This isnât necessarily about having a million choices in the story or making the protagonist a âblank slateâ, but I do enjoy Interactive Fictions stories that allow me to interpret the protagonistâs actions and thoughts without the narrative or story telling how they should feel in a given situation or railroading the protagonist into making conversations or taking actions or the narration itself passing judgment on the protagonistâs actions unless thereâs a specific reason why, such as it being a person on your team with their own morals getting angry at your actions but they can only condemn you through long distance communication.
In other words, setting up a scene and giving the reader the responsibility to choose how the protagonist should react to it.
Generally I like Medieval high fantasy games and stories that thrive on themes like war, kingdoms, magic, and honor because they provide a tapestry of rich conflicts, emotional depth, and grand stakes.
Iâm sure people will mention many things so Iâll just say this small thing: Multiple ways to solve problems
So, aside from just passing skill checks when confronted with a problem, perhaps if you got an item or did something relevant beforehand youâll have an easier time passing the skill check or maybe youâll even get trough it for free.
This would encourage players to explore alternate paths and add a risk-reward dynamic.
Forget what we want. For you to be happy writing and coding, ignore whatever audience needs. Start experimenting and drafting about content and game design that interests you. People are drawn to good quality and that comes from putting hard work in, which is only possible if youâre interested in what youâre creating.
The readers can expand and change their expectations and interests. They can embrace what you offer them. Be a signpost, not a weathervane. (Thatâs a UK politics reference but it works in many contextâŚ.)
Focus on building the PC as an actual characterâânot just a simple self-insert. Sure, our options should be able to build their personality and ideals, but personally I find stories where the MC has a somewhat built in âcharacterâ the most enjoyable to play.
Some examples from IFs specifically include the Main Characters of Golden Rose, Fallen Hero, I the Forgotten One, Wayhaven Chronicles, and Samurai of Hyuga. Itâs a personal preference where I like it when it feels like the MC is also a part of the world, not the centre around which it revolves
I prefer not to define and decide what other characters look like or what their personalities gonna be. Pre-defined characters are very much okay, in fact it feels so weird to decide what their attributes are when I donât play nor have control over them.
Next, a forgiving outcomes, I know that most people here refers Interactive Fiction to an old genre where there is a right choice and a wrong choice, but I hope we can move on from that old style of narratives.
Itâs not even fun for modern audiences that keep expecting more, so a workaround on choices and narratives that gives alternative outcomes rather than send the player to âGame Overâ screen is much appreciated.