Standard Patterns in Choice-based Games
Discuss this week’s Interactive Fiction selections
- Break into small groups (3-4 people) and discuss the 3 games you played for homework.
- Use your notes and open-ended questions to drive the discussion.
- Share out as a larger group.
Standard Patterns in Choice-Based Games
Let’s talk about some common structural patterns for interactive fiction (and other choice-based game narratives). We’ll use this great resource by Sam Kabo Ashwell as a jumping off point.
Cheatsheet for Ink
Here is a cheatsheet which will be updated to include all things Ink that we cover in this class. The Ink Manual is also great and I would highly recommend getting comfortable with it to find examples of advanced Ink usage.
Today, we’ll be focusing on:
- Stitches (subsections)
- Glue <>
- Gather marks -
- Conditional choices { }
- Global variables
- Counting turns
Homework
Branching IF Exercise
Description
Create a short Interactive Fiction game in Ink that takes no longer than 7 minutes to play.
Premise: You made a choice. And then another!
Design Considerations
- The game must have exactly two endings, and both should feel equally strong and satisfying.
- Choices should guide the player toward one of these two endings while revealing the setting and context of the game.
- Where are we?
- What time of day is it?
- What details do players need to know?
- Use language that sets the tone and atmosphere. Avoid being purely descriptive.
- Focus on exploration and curiosity. Keep the experience mostly linear, without puzzles or complicated mechanics.
- Plan first: create an outline of story beats (on paper or in another tool) before writing in Ink.
What to Turn In
- Outline of the story beats (with notes on types of beats)
- The .ink file of your finished game
- Upload both to the Canvas assignment
Finish reading the first part of Chapter 4 in Wonderbook
Over the next two weeks, please set aside time to read the first half of Chapter 4 of Wonderbook (pages 133-157): “Introduction,” “Plot,” “Structure,” “Creating Scenes,” and “Pacing: Beats and Progressions”.