Hi all,
I’ve been doing a bit of an edit and tidy up on my very first game Wizardry Level C. I made it back in 2015, how has it been that long . Given it was my first game and I was a real newbie at CS (eek my coding style back then !), I felt it could use a few improvements for stuff I have learned and hopefully improved on since then. As a first pass edit I’ve started doing the following:
Addition of more flavour choices (how you decide to feel or react to choices), more short divergent sections of story sequences based on choice reactions, extra options to choose from where it needs some extra reactions. More *if variables to reflect the choices you’ve made in text to make the game feel more immersive.
Attempt to better sign post the branches in game and in the blurb. This game does actually have some significantly different endings, they don’t all converge with whether or not you achieve your licence but I’m not sure this was made clear enough.
Addition of a non-binary pronoun option.
Some of the things in game are harder to deal with. This is a branchy game in nature and is always going to lend itself to replayability with shorter playthrough to wordcount ratios. It was kind of built more around the traditional cyoa style books (for those that know the styles it has not only branch and return, but also gauntlet and time cave elements) rather than the more typical mostly branch and return style of most CSGs.) I think I do have return save points for all the “gauntlet” style branch endings so you don’t have to restart from the beginning but will check this is the case as I work through it.
It is a shorter game at about 100k. I guess as a first pass edit I’m looking to fix relatively simple but still significant issues that can hopefully improve core storyline issues rather than adding lots of large extra scenes, but could consider adding bits and pieces. I’m hoping to have at least the core revision done as soon as possible (within the next month or two is the plan.) Maybe in later edits I could add more time allowing.
Anyway, I’m definitely fixing the above points, but for anyone who has read this game, what sorts of things do you feel could benefit from? I can’t guarantee I can change the game for all of them (especially if they’re large edits but could still file these away for possible future changes so you can still let me know if you have bigger suggestions.) As I’m working through it, just wondering what else I should be perhaps looking out for. Thanks!
Would you like some beta test-like feedback? I don’t think I’ve read the game since it was in the alpha stages, but if you like I could go over it with a fine toothed comb now.
Warning: it’s going to be a lot of feedback, and will take some time to put together.
Thanks so much @Cecilia_Rosewood! Would be amazing if you’d like to give it a read. I’ve only started with the edits, most of the game still remains undone. Would you prefer to take a look at it (if you have the time ) when I’ve finished with the initial clean up to hopefully fix some of the basic issues? Otherwise I can upload a copy to dashingdons and send you the link when ever you like. Lots of feedback is always amazing, (warning from me in its current unedited state it needs it )
@poison_mara honestly nothing was taken personally. I’m fine with most constructive crit. (The ones that sent me into a bit of a tail spin were actually the initial store reviews which were frequently not constructive.) It would be wonderful to have any imput you feel like giving, but please don’t feel like you need to look at this project to make up for anything in the past, as you don’t
I’m happy to give it a another read also! My memory is a bit fuzzy, bit anyway if others want to have a go first I’m happy to have a look once you’ve given it a first pass… Or even towards the middle of the month when I get back to Tokyo…
Thanks @adrao! I’ll let you know when the initial draft is done
I think it’d be nice to get the game onto dashingdon’s for beta testing at some point anyway regardless of where its at so I can add save slots and make it easier to test.
I would like to say the current state, but… I also still have to finish something for the Halloween Jam first, so it’s probably better to wait for the edited version
No probs! Get your Jam entry done first. That’s definitely the priority Let me know if you have the time spare and feel like having a read. I can always put up a copy on dashingdons with whatever edits I’ve gotten to at the time whenever is good.
I still being me in reviews. It is simply I learned to not put reviews without permission due most people can’t or don’t want a honestly direct not sandwich feedback. So fear not my review will be as brutally honest as always
Hey all, just giving this one a little bump.
I don’t have any revised demos out for anyone to play at the moment so this is still a question for those who have already played this game for now. (I’ll likely set us a private link at a later date for anyone who hasn’t played it or has and would like to see the changes.)
Progress has been a bit slow on this one due to other projects, time constraints, and it needing more changes than expected but working my way through it. As I go I’ve been trying to:
a) Get rid of as many next buttons as possible.
b) Add in *if statements to better reflect choices made in the storyline. (Including little bits of flavour text here and there.)
c) Increasing appearences by the familiar (if you get one.) I’m also in the process of giving a second chance to obtain one slightly later in the game.
Example: I’ve added in a scene were they go with you to the forest for a scene (if you have one) where previously they were absent. (There’s more to it than this but just as an example of where it’s going)
d) Expanding out some of the scenes/more choices etc in a few places that feel like it needs it.
e) Have added in a non-binary option at the start with the gender choice.
f) Trying to work out how to better signpost some of the branches.
Anyways other thoughts on what might not have been working so well in this game? (Given what I’ve also said in the first post- there are some limitations like how much longer this game can be made, it’s not really suitable for much in the way of ROs etc.)
I’m also wondering whether it is worth considering REMOVING parts of the game given it’s already published or a bad idea. There’s a few endings where it’s kind of in the theme of your more traditional CYOA books where sometimes a choice leads to a short bit of story then an ending. (An example of this would be the superpower ending which is a bit of a random branch out.) Or perhaps another way around it might be adding a checkpoint or save system to allow return to an earlier point without a game restart?
. Given it was my first game and I was a real newbie at CS (eek my coding style back then 
!), I felt it could use a few improvements for stuff I have learned and hopefully improved on since then. As a first pass edit I’ve started doing the following:
) when I’ve finished with the initial clean up to hopefully fix some of the basic issues? Otherwise I can upload a copy to dashingdons and send you the link when ever you like. Lots of feedback is always amazing, (warning from me in its current unedited state it needs it 
)
Let me know if you have the time spare and feel like having a read. I can always put up a copy on dashingdons with whatever edits I’ve gotten to at the time whenever is good.