Skybreak! was my first attempt to write decent romantic encounters in IF (besides some content in 6SB). I tried to make them realistic people…that I, the writer, wanted to hook up with. Naturally at no point does the game prompt you for a gender, but the player simply chooses a romantic target and then sees whether it succeeds or fails. I think a romantic interaction in a video game is much more satisfying if the character has an actual identity beyond “plug and play target of affection” (so in skybreak all 8 “romanceable” characters have very different things that happen when you romance them)…but of course the downside is that this fundamentally collapses the number and variety of different romantic targets (so in skybreak if you’re playing someone attracted to men, you’re not going to be hooking up with the Acolyte…which has other game consequences).
In my opinion, this is the worst kind of illusion of choice. What’s the point of letting you choose to be a robot or werewolf if it’s never mentioned in the game and everyone reacts to you exactly the same? I think that the game would actually be improved by removing the option.
I get it though - it’s an attempt at creating roleplay “classes” that aren’t just
the same standardized tropes from D&D.
But a DM should at least make the drunken patrons of a tavern go “WTF” when a robot enters. 
But what kind of DM would not relish finding unique ways to screw over a player based on these sorts of details?
@tayruh
jinx
Sometimes branches should tie back into one. Instead of creating false choices to do so, I would recommend marking them with a variable and using that to alter the gameplay later. This is far more satisfying, their choice isn’t wasted, and you still get to solve the immediate branching problem.
What if a game is just a box of puzzles with no narrative beyond scaffolding? How should a game like that be judged if it has no story at all? Would you mark it down? Do you think IF needs a story?
Not to put words in their mouth, but I think they were just using the phrase “story elements” to refer to author written content, even if it’s just the output “you unlocked the door”.
Hello! My humble opinion is that games are games, no matter what means are used to achieve the end. The player is the one who determines the quality regardless of the development tool or the effort made by the creator. It’s that unfair!
The term 'interactive fiction’ does presuppose it. Even if there isn’t a story as such, the player will generally construct one for themselves from the scraps provided. The Path being quite a good example.
I tried a choice game recently on mobile and got that first prompt and my immediate reaction was just “I dunno, it’s your story dude. Why am I deciding?” I didn’t even know what the games themes were yet so how can I decide the most interesting perspective on them?
I also don’t think just because a character is made by the player means the author still isn’t deciding to what extent the kinds of character defining struggles are. Dragon Age Inquisition let’s you make your own character and choose a backstory but, regardless, the game is still about a character who struggles with being chosen by God, and what that means to them. And even if the author writes all the choices, the player still creates a unique perspective behind them.
I actually wrote a piece a while back on that game, arguing that choices that don’t change text at all can actually be the most meaningful.
(If anyone’s interested)
I’d just like to say that this thread (disregarding the original intent of it) is exactly what I like about interactive fiction. We all have different preferences in the style of game that we like to play and create, but I find it incredibly interesting the different ways you can use (or abuse) the medium on its way from barely interactive novel to a storyless dungeon crawler. Ways that I don’t think would be possible for standard video games.
The Path (and TWO) were story-less for two reasons:
(1) To demonstrate that stories are not necessarily required in text adventure games.
(2) I’m not skilled enough to write anything I would praise to read.
Mostly it was about being petty though. I do like precision in language, and “interactive fiction” to me is the epitome of an imprecise banner. The genre might as well be called “text based games using the courier font”, even though games using different fonts are welcome.
“Interactive fiction” is about as all encompassing as “racing”, “fighting”, “role-playing”, and “action” game genres. It’s not supposed to define a super specific subset. That’s what subgenres are for.
Oh sure. I’ve done that - depending on which branch is selected, I frequently vary the text so it follows logically in the conversation then flows to the next node I intended. Usually my choices are variances in how the player responds, but it’s often just leading ultimately to one or the other “yes/no” choice. This is a good place to also assign relationship or character points - if the player always selects “angry” responses those can accumulate and make a different later.
Of course. There are no eligibility criteria, only preferences. Authors may do as they please.
Exactly. I refer to it as “co-creation” and it’s a balance of how much player choice you afford and how much the author dictates. Some players want lots of control, others like me appreciate some handholding.
Major side tangent...
It’s sort of similar to acting - I’ve been in rehearsals where my performance is strictly dictated by the director, I’ve done some where it was collaborative including combinations of my ideas and the director’s ideas, and then there are some who just say “do whatever you want” and that’s often the scariest. Especially when you rehearse for weeks doing your own thing and finally the director goes “I don’t think I like where you’re taking this…” WELL WHY DIDN’T YOU PROVIDE ANY INPUT TWO WEEKS AGO?
This is fine …
public class Animal {
}
public class Flamingo extends Animal {
}
public class Sparrow extends Flamingo {
}
Hahaha. Well at least in acting you’ve seen the script. All I’ve read of these choice games is their title.
Tangentially: I empathise. Receiving no direction at all for 3 months and then being told 2 nights before curtain up “oh yes, darling, that’s marvellous, but…do you think you could you do it completely differently?” is amongst my most cherished memories.