What do you look for in a ChoiceScript Game?

I’m going to start working on a choicescript game soon, and I’ve got the game partially outlined, but I want to ask a couple questions to the fanbase at large and figure out what kinds of games you like. After all, who wants to write a story that nobody will read? :smiley:

Question 1: To you, are choicescript games more literature aspect (it’s about the story, non-player character development, a world that moves even when the PC isn’t looking) or the game aspect (choices you make and their effects on the world, building up your character, many different options, lots of ways to “win” or “lose” etc). Of course, if you’re here it’s going to be a mix of both, but which is more important (assuming both are passable)?

Question 2: Which is more important - stories with lots of diverse options and endings (breadth) or deep, rich stories in which the options are relatively similar and the choices generally lead you in the same direction (depth)? This has alot to do with the first question, but I see it as different. Again, assuming both are passable, which would you writers to *focus* on?

  1. To me, it’s the literature aspect. The literature is what gives CoG games their appeal, and makes them stand out from the crowd. Games which focus more on the ‘game’ side of things, such as “The Fleet” are still good, but, in my opinion, not as good as more literature based games. However, you can’t have one being good if the other is bad, so the ‘game’ aspect should still be good (for example, “Heroes Rise” wasn’t much of a game- it was very linear. It was still good, but not great), but the ‘literature’ side of things is more important to me.

  2. Personally, it’s breadth. A game with few choices (again, I go back to “Heroes Rise”) isn’t really that much of a game, so you have to have lots of different paths to follow- otherwise you’re not really making a game. However, the game still needs to be long, deep and rich. Using the example of a square, sorry if you don’t get me, but a square needs to be as wide as it is long or it’s not a square- it’s a rectangle. You need the game to have a lot of choices and still be deep, but, if I was at gunpoint and had to choose one, I’d pick breadth.

Awesome, Redgrave. :slight_smile: Thanks! I tend to be the same way. I also like to have the best of both worlds until somebody points a gun at me. :smiley: I will take this into consideration. Thanks!

@FallingWithStyle I can answer both question with one: a good game (to me) has in equal measure all the elements you mention. It needs literature so that the player has an immersive world to interact with and move in. It needs the interactive element because if you give the player plenty of options for how their character develops and goes through the game, the more enjoyable the game will be. This will also increase the replayablilty of your game, but obviously will make it much more difficult to make.

Easily the best game (to me) currently being made is called Vendetta: Rise of a Gangster and is being made by @Vendetta. His game has both a rich world to play in and give you plenty of options on how to play the game.

@fantom agreed, on both points!