That's Make It Up As You Go Along, by the way.

I had a very basic sci-fi outline before I started, but essentially I've been bluffing along since the start. I'm now wondering if this was a good idea as I don't really know where to go or how best to lead the player along the storyline. The game does have a goal, and I'm trying to allow enough freedom for the player to get there in his/her own way.

Pacing in another factor that's difficult to convey. I've been working on this game for weeks now, making it feel, to me, like some epic blockbuster. In truth, a player would be able to get through all the locations and activities in about five minutes flat.

So, how do you go about building your worlds?

if you're writing a story you have to story board it or similar. No way around it really. For those that don't know what that is, it's the planning stage (the story should already have been written by this stage) where (normally in film) the production is planned out and possible problems forseen and solved before encountering them in precious studio time. I guess that might not matter so much in IF but you do need some kind of plan. I usually think of the ending first.

I love writing outlines. Outlines for CYOAS, outlines for regular stories, outlines for comic books, outlines for IF...

I probably have at least two dozen outlines for every actual finished project on my computer, but I blame that squarely on my own laziness and ADD; my outlining methodology itself is flawless, I swear.

I start with opening up a writing program (any will do) and writing down the tl:dr of the plot, just a small paragraph to cover the basics.

Then I list important characters and a few words about their personality or role.

Next comes the numbered list of major plot points. For an IF game this would basically be the rooms, puzzles, and cut scenes the player has to get through to finish the game. For an IF game I'd also create a rough map at this point as well, or in the case of a CYOA a story map showing how all the major events link together and make sure the player comes across the important bits no matter what path they take.

Later I'll go back as the mood strikes me and fill in more about the world and any random cool ideas I'd like to add at some point. Recently I've discovered Twine is excellent for this, each character name or plot point can be linked to another page where you can type as much nerdbabble as your heart desires without it cluttering up the main summary page.

Implement the map and only the most necessary puzzles and plot points, and you have a very bare-bones but still functioning and finishable game. Everything else after that is just icing on the cake, add more detail and embellishments as the spirit moves you.

This is a great article on text adventure planning: https://emshort.wordpress.com/2009/08/2 ... mentation/

Marzipan wrote:I start with opening up a writing program (any will do) and writing down the tl:dr of the plot, just a small paragraph to cover the basics.

Then I list important characters and a few words about their personality or role.

Next comes the numbered list of major plot points. For an IF game this would basically be the rooms, puzzles, and cut scenes the player has to get through to finish the game. For an IF game I'd also create a rough map at this point as well, or in the case of a CYOA a story map showing how all the major events link together and make sure the player comes across the important bits no matter what path they take.

Later I'll go back as the mood strikes me and fill in more about the world and any random cool ideas I'd like to add at some point. Recently I've discovered Twine is excellent for this, each character name or plot point can be linked to another page where you can type as much nerdbabble as your heart desires without it cluttering up the main summary page.

Implement the map and only the most necessary puzzles and plot points, and you have a very bare-bones but still functioning and finishable game. Everything else after that is just icing on the cake, add more detail and embellishments as the spirit moves you.

Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But until you read the way someone else goes about things, it never occurs.

I shall use this method on my next IF... if I ever get the current one finished

Thanks, Silver and george, too - bookmarked that thread.

I haven't read that article, but I pretty much plan way ahead. I know what my goals are and what I need to achieve with the game.
From there I use something like OneNote to map out my tables for my mechanics - from item cost, item bonuses and stats to damage modifiers per distance for ranged weapons or whatever I would like to achieve.
Having done that, I create all my scripts for the mechanics - from merchants to shopping from inside a shop, re-buying stuff, weapon equipping and handling, etc This I all test in a test module as well as practical encounters to see if all the scripts are working.

Then I actually write my story with each decision branch and decide where these branches meet up again.
Last step for me is then to actually build the proper game.

6 months to a year and you are done I am now about 2 months in my newest creation - not that any of my previous ones was any good - I still like making them.

unfortunately, design planning isn't that useful, when you don't know how to code well, as I spend all my time, just trying to learn how to code in something that is functional, let alone an effectice code system for that game aspect (I do a lot of redundency in my coding, as I don't know how to combine~parse my code better together, sighs), I plan all these great ideas, but then I got to actually figure out how to do them, sighs. I think it's the most easy for being a good coder, and trying to then be a good writer, artist, and~or designer, then it is to be one of these, and then trying to learn to be a coder. As, at least as a coder, you can actually do things, actually have things done, and working in your game. You actually can play out tangibly your progress being made.

I wrote a short story and then(loosely) based a sort of CYOA off of it. I'm still working on it but I add tons of paths to it as I go along. I usually try to make sure that they make sense, the continuity is...continuous?...and that it feels like it fits in with the story without A) crossing genres, 2) going too far from the plot, and Q) become a rant/story of its own.

It's pretty much made up as I go along. Imagine The Stanley Parable but in text.