I need to take a break over the weekend because I have articles and reviews to write, so less of my own stuff, more stuff for other people.
If I have the time, I intend to plan out the data map I need to set up items and evens in Chains of Command.
One thing that is particular to choose your own adventure games is that you do need a plan, as mentioned in my last post. When you have a branching narrative, each branch needs to be followed from start to finish. For a story to be coherent and not go go in completely different directions at the end, you also need to know when to bring the branches back together. I sound like I’ve been doing a million choose your own adventure stories, but I haven’t. What I have done a million times is flowcharts, and flowcharts are much the same. Start in one end. Collect all the threads. Describe all states and return to the starting point to enter a new mode.
I’m impressed by authors like Joe Dever who were capable of writing not only one choose your own adventure story but a whole series of them without having a computer to keep track of things. Then again. Never underestimate post-it notes.
I enjoy the idea of these kinds of games, but ultimately I think I’m a bit too snobby. I also like high production values in my games, so I’m more inclined to play a game with cinematic and branching dialogue. Actually, I’m weirdly binary. A choose your own adventure in book format I’m happy to devour, but anything in between book and fully realized cinematics, not so much.
Which means that yes, while I do adore the thought and intent of game like The Wolf Among Us, the playing of it I found not quite as stimulating. But I digress.
More on Chains of Command when I have worked more on it.
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