What kind of choice games do you guys like?

I want to make a choice game to get myself back into writing but I need ideas like what genre it should be how many choices how many characters etc. And sorry for the bad grammer I’m writing this on my kindle

@Neogamebuddy How about a good mystery game, somewhere in the same vein as Clue. Don’t see many of those on here, and if done well can test your skill in CS. And if you go with the Clue theme, the guilty party can be different every play through.

@Neogamebuddy When it comes to the number of choices and characters, the best answer is as many as your story needs. And when it comes to the genre, try the one you are most comfortable with.

@Neogamebuddy On the subject of choices in particular, I would suggest that the number isn’t as important as actually being meaningful and having genuine effect. Quite frankly, nothing annoys me more than playing a so-called Choice game where too much of the time my “choices” clearly don’t actually make much of a difference at all.

If I wanted to read an ordinary novel, I’d go out and buy one, and would sit down, put my feet up and enjoy the story without being constantly asked how I “feel” about this, that or the other, when it clearly doesn’t make a scrap of difference how I actually feel. Indeed, the only “feeling” I tend to have right around then is sheer freakin’ annoyance!

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I agree totally with Vendetta. Faux choices are just annoying. I read interactive fiction for the “interactive” part as much as I do the “fiction”.

Regarding genre I think you should choose whatever you want, to make it easier for you to keep at it - if it is well done the genre is secondary to me, at least (Choice of the Vampire is a prime example, I am not at all into vampires normally, but it’s so well put together I keep finding new things to do still).

What ever it is, try to make real difference in the plot with different choices, like @Vendetta and the @Duck said.

Ok I think I understand thanks for the advice

I recommend generally having 3 options per choice, and not using a single *fake_choice

2 Options make you feel forced into a choice, and several options almost always means they don’t have much effect.

I think I thought of a concept for a game should I put it here or bake another discussion?

Fake choices have their uses. There’s a reason why most of the official choice games use them.

Up to you if you want to keep using this discussion I can easily change the title for you. Or you can start a new one.

“what kind of choice games do you guys like?”

The fun kind ;D *gets thrown out a window*

I use fake_choices a fair bit, it’s an unfortunate habit of mine however I’m trying to break it and only use it for stats.

For the record, my earlier rant above is not an objection to the presence of *fake_choice in a game, only the careless (some would say, lazy) way in which it is all too often used. There are definitely ways in which it can serve a very useful purpose, but I’ll let my description on the Wiki speak for me here:

"While it’s easy to dismiss the *fake_choice command in preference to an actual *choice, simply because it doesn’t require the use of any additional commands within the options body, that would be missing the whole point of this particular command.

*fake_choice is an opportunity for the player to further interact with the story in a way that can be every bit as entertaining or rewarding for the player as would an ordinary *choice option, but without the need for additional coding, thereby enhancing the game experience with considerably less effort. Judicious use of *fake_choice can help to build character, emphasize plot details, aid immersion in the game world, and enhance interaction.

However, overuse of simplistic *fake_choices, or too obviously fake (“How do you feel about that?” or similar) can also have the exact opposite effect on an experienced player of ChoiceScript games, and may serve only to spoil that player’s enjoyment of your story."

I’m certainly not against *fake_choices. I have some of the most important decisions in my games hidden within *fake_choices that might otherwise seem harmless or not have much effect. The thing I like most about ChoiceScript is the ability to have delayed consequences, and that’s what usually draws me to a game.

There are many stories that can get by with only having the “big choices” that show immediate effects, but I’m one of the players that likes to look at the long term. How will choice A affect me down the line? If I keep choosing things like choice B, what’ll happen? I’d rather have small choices add up to a complex game than see the results of my big choices right away every time.

So, no. I can’t see *fake_choices as being inherently bad any more than I can see the *temp command as being bad. It’s all in the way you design the game.

Fake choices can be useful. For example in my game the choices where you pick your gun and ammo are fake_choice choices I just need to set two variables there is no need for a goto in this kind of choice.

But I’m also guilty of using it the other way for example…


*label home

*if (female)

  While you are disoriented, ${friend} snatches your hair, holding you up to the gazes of ${hisher} friends. 
  "We'll cut all of your stringy hair off if you don't admit to being the ugliest girl in school. So say it. 
  You're an ugly little girl. Nobody likes you."

*if (male)

  While you are disoriented, ${friend} stomps hard on your foot, just to prove a point. "You're pretty weak and pathetic, ${name}. I don't even know why you get up in the morning."
  
*fake_choice
  #Ask ${himher} why ${heshe}'s doing this when you used to be friends.
    "None of your business! Why are you always so nosey?" ${heshe} says.
    
  #Tell ${himher} to go shove it.
    "How about I shove my fist back in your face?" ${heshe} says.
    
  #Say nothing.
  
${friend} punches you again.

Crumpled on the ground, you hear the other kids laughing as they walk away. Eventually, you pick yourself up and make your way home. Your body aches, but you are thankful that none of the kids had hit your face, as you didn't want to have to explain a black eye to your Aunt and Uncle.

In situations like this the aftermath is the same regardless of your choice as the bully will hit you anyway. I don’t feel like this choice is cheating the player but lets them define them a bit more.

@Nocturnal_Stillness - Stuff like that helps with getting in the game, I think. I think what most people both think and don’t like about *fake_choice is when they pretend to be important choice that really matter. Well, I know that is how it is for me, any way. *fake_choice certainly has it uses, but not fake choices, narmean? :smiley:

@Nocturnal_Stillness Nothing there to be feel “guilty” about as the sequence with the bully is pretty much integral to the early part of the story so is worth elaborating on in this fashion – i.e. it ticks most of the boxes for “…can help to build character, emphasize plot details, aid immersion in the game world, and enhance interaction.

However, if you ever edit it to…


${friend} punches you again.

How does that make you feel?

*fake_choice
  #etc

… or words to that effect, then I’d be worried about a distinct lack of creativity! :wink:

@JTAL Well said - you have the distinction down perfectly.

@Vendetta, I broadly agree, but I’d want to see what’s after that “etc” - the text around a fake_choice is what makes or breaks it for me. Even “feeling” choices can be described in a way that adds something to the story; it doesn’t have to be mere punctuation for a large bloc of text…

@Havenstone It’s a fair point, and not one I’d disagree with, although that particular part of the response to NS was very much tongue-in-cheek, with reference to my earlier rant on the subject. :wink:

In all seriousness though, there’s absolutely no reason in my mind why the subject of “feelings” should not be addressed in a *fake_choice, especially if it really fits that particular situation in the game and provided that a little more thought is given to the actual wording… Blunt narrator questions are often a bad sign, for example.

However, I do think the whole notion has been abused just once too often (“Hmm, too much text, I need a choice in here… I know, I’ll ask how they feel about this. Perfect!”), to the extent now where I just squirm every time I see it, or anything even vaguely resembling it.

I guess what it comes down to is this: just because you see something done a certain way in another game, or games plural – or even in “official” games – does not necessarily make it a good idea to use the exact same thing in your own game. This whole “How do you feel about that?” malarkey is just one stark example of a basically “OK (in small doses) idea” that is simply too often ill-conceived and very poorly implemented – to the detriment of ChoiceScript devs, and our games, as a whole.