I’ve been mucking about with some adult chat bots, but having a fun time breaking them down a bit, controlling the narrative, and exploring some hyper-WG/BE/AE, etc… scenarios.
I’ve been toying with the idea of maybe cleaning them up into stories, though for some parts I think the chat interface display is an interesting idea, at least for parts.
I know some VN can mostly be just visuals or animations without much choice, and I was curious on folks thoughts on just reading a story vs. having visuals vs. having an aspect of time built-in?
Like would a “game” where it’s basically a story dolled out over time via chat as you click (or wait) for reveals, maybe with a few images intermixed be engaging enough?
On a similar note, is it ever interesting to have mostly dead paths where there’s only one right answer to progress forward?
Cool, thanks for the terminology. That’s half the battles some times is knowing what things are called. Good to know it’s at least not a completely uncommon or unheard of thing. Thanks!
Different, mutually exclusive, wouldn’t-want-to-live-without-any-given-one styles of engagement! The ‘ideal’ answer is particular to the story and the author. “Passage” would suck as a text adventure. “Make It Good” wouldn’t be as good as a point-and-click. “RoadWarren” would be weaker without it’s custom RenPy presentation of map-and-text-wall.
(Not a game - lacks interesting, engaging, or crucial choices.) Kinetic Novels can be engaging. Books can be engaging. I think if you’re aiming for an enjoyable experience, this is a viable avenue to approach that by way of. And the blurred edges between VNs and KNs means most won’t be as pedantic as I am about what’s literally a game and what isn’t… but again, a narrative doesn’t have to be a game.
Yeah! But I’m in that minority that enjoys bullethells and point-and-clicks from the 90s where you can lose two hours of progress because you didn’t, I don’t know, tuck your pistol or gardening gloves under a pillow at exactly the right time. If you’re going for maximum engagement across the widest audience, this is probably something to be avoided… but what does the art want? I think you’ve got to take instances of art like you’ve got to take people - they are what they are, and you’ve got to accept them for that or do without. Forcing square pegs into round holes is just a way to commit to being miserable.