I’d like to add an addendum to this: dramatic irony is a fantastic thing. If you’re one of those authors that likes to put cutaway scenes in (@Rohie comes to mind) : always remember that what the player knows, the character may not know. And, in the same vein, please don’t just suddenly make all the characters know something, if only the player knows. It gets really jarring and annoying.
EG: MC and Character A go have a conversation with NPC 1. A huge secret is revealed. They agree not to tell anyone, even in their party. 7 scenes later, somehow Charscters B, C, and D are chatting about the events with the NPC.
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Can someone develop some of these concepts a bit more for me? I have about 6,000 words in a story that I want to turn into an interactive game on here. I’d like to understand more about how to be successful in creating difficulty levels and creating power fantasy.
The concepts in this thread are as abstract as a pile of text they’re now. Implementing it is not an easy thing, though also not a complicated thing, IMO.
For difficulty progression, this is more relevant to games with focus on its gamey aspect. Involves a lot of maths and graphs.
Early-game, statchecks should be fairly easy. The most difficult one can be created for players who specialize even at the start of the game. Punishment should be minimum.
Mid-game has more leeway, here. Depends on how difficult, how rewarding your checks will be. Also how often the skillchecks will be.
Late-game is when you start to lead players to their endings. Skillchecks would be more difficult, with equally meaningful failure states, but so is the reward.
For power fantasy, it’s about fulfilling the experience of you can be where you can’t IRL. It’s also having narrative that acknowledge players’ agency. Give them chance and opportunities to show off. I’d like to bring up the old point-and-click games like PuttPutt and Freddie Fish as one of the better example of this (nostalgic bias; idc).
… Having hung around here for a little while now - read a lot of stuff, chatted to experienced community members, taking part in a PRO Beta Test - I would say that having the idea/plot for a traditional novel might not be your best starting point to create the style of game that “the majority” turn out (or read)
From what I have seen, “linear-stories” are rarer than “games”. And if you were planning a traditional (2D) story, then you almost certainly have a linear-story.
I would very much encourage you to read the info and getting started threads on here. Play the “example” games. Read some of the WIP threads and try a couple of those out.
If/when you’re convinced, post your own Idea (in the Ideas thread) and see what folk think. The BETA process looks a brilliant way to make sure you are working hard at something someone will read.
This is linked up above (but I hadn’t seen it before and it does get lost in the midst of this long page … so here it is again!) Design Guide for PRO Games This does a very good job of showing you what COG think “most” people want to play.
All that said, I agreed with what I think @Carlos.R wrote up-a-ways … Write what you want. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes (as you can tell from this thread!) … as someone else put up above (and as was said by Denise Van Outen!), “If you like it, someone else will too”
… Oh, and I’ve not written off IF as a way to tell the story I wanted … But I am less sure that it is the best form to tell it in. I think that might be a way to look at your plan, Riley? Have a good read around here and look at the “examples”, are they the best way to tell the storyyou want to tell?
(if someone more experienced wants to contradict me etc, please don’t be shy )
I’m not the expert who should be saying how and why things should be a certain way…the guide gives some solid statements but doesn’t do much to say why someone SHOULD do the things it says. It’s a lot that comes off as “just take our word for it.”
The insistence on games being inclusive makes it a little jarring when the company spokespeople have went on the stance of defending genderlocking games before. Which are all fine.
I feel like for an actual reason to why you need diversity or about half the game genders to be male or female, it would be easier to just point out that it keeps things fresh and a roughly even number doesn’t favour any specific leaning.
This isn’t really a criticism about the guide. It’s just that I don’t think it clarifies why something actually matters and reads a little like “You must have this to have this” rather than giving real points to why those are needed.
The guide is for people who want to publish “with CoG” (paid / paid in advance)
As far as I know, Hosted Game authors (non-pro) are free to do pretty much anything they want? However, the audience for pro CoG games (and so, I would suggest, Hosted Games?) does seem to want particular things (or why be here?).
Like I (hope) I made clear in my post … Write what you want. But realise, you might spend a great deal of time, and put in a great deal of effort, to end up with something that “next to noone here” will read.
(If you read the thread that I linked - not just the document - you will see this exact discussion … And in many other threads too )
First, thanks so much for your replies, and I look for more replies too. I looked at the document, which was an amazing read, but when I attempted to go to the two links, they sent me to pages that were no longer there. Does anyone have any links to them that work?
I also have some other ideas that I want to throw out there. I saw that there is a forum for ideas, but I don’t know the location of that forum. I see the forum for WIP: https://forum.choiceofgames.com/c/hosted-games/works-in-progress
Is this the place where I should post my idea?
Regarding the novel that I was initially discussing, I had started it on WattPad and thought I might be able to turn it into a Hosted Game with the idea that the way that the main characters will accomplish the goals can have multiple options and multiple paths. I initially wanted to create a CYOA for that novel, but I didn’t know a good program and platform to do that. I can post the idea for it in the ideas section. I can also provide a link there of the novel, which is in progress.
I’d be very careful with this statement. What happens out on the wider storefront audience often, but does not always mirror the general tastes of the majority in this forum. TBH if you write when interests YOU as a first game, you’re more likely to get it completed and be happy with it regardless of the reception. You don’t need your first game to be a run away success (although it’s nice if it is), but chances are it won’t be anyway as these things do take practice to get right.
Unless you have previous successful writing experience, your chances of getting a contract with COG is slim anyway (see their prerequisites.) If you’re in that boat, start with HG instead, get a game written, then submit a proposal to COG if you want to.
Honestly, I think it’s kind of flawed logic for authors to expect their first attempts to be perfect. I’m essentially on my third attempt at completing something, and I still don’t really know what I’m doing. Expecting instant success is a little skewed. People need to be willing to accept that they are going to make a few mistakes.
I really enjoyed “Life of a Mercenary” and “Swamp Castle,” both of which are by Hosted Games, which is what got me to research into seeing if it was possible for me to create my IF or games through here.
@KickinTyres
Thanks so much for this document. While I realize that my first story is going to be submitted via Hosted Games, I can definitely use this document to help me flesh out the outline, post it in the interest page, get feedback, show my worth, and then perhaps be able to publish with CoG in the future. At a minimum, this outline will make my Hosted Games story that much better. Again, thanks so much!
@Jacic
I planned on using Hosted Games first. I definitely appreciate the support of the community here, especially with the quick responses too.
To all: I have posted a summary of a story I would like to write in the interest page. Please check it out and let me know what you think.
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