How do you write you games?

[DameJudyMench]

When working on a game do you start by writing out everything, then making the pics/anumations, then scripting into Renpy/whatever? (Im assuming this is right since many writers don't program/do all visuals for their own games)

if so I'd love to see how you format it.

With branching paths esspecially I just cant wrap my head around a way to keep myself organized.

 

[Buddy]

Whatever gets it out. Everything starts somewhere. Most of my stories start with a short story. Like five hundred to a thousand words of a scene. Then take that tone and themes and expand on them.

I haven't done a lot with branching paths, yet. The way I've been going about it is to not make choices. I don't make the choice, it's up to the payer. So, then I write both paths or I make a variable to show the choice and I reference it later.

What is most important is theme. If you are able to keep the theme in mind, even with vastly different choices, the story arch will feel complete and true.
For example the theme of the Great Gatsby is hope. Gatsby is a heroic hopefull figure. He hopes for an idealised past and projects it into the furture. It can't just that Daisy loves him-it has to be that Daisy always only loved him (otherwise it's ntr). Gatsby can't see things that don't fit into his hope for the future. Like, how Daisy and Toms life fit together (because they are horrible people), how Daisy will only want to be rich and Gatsby made his money off of prohibition contraband (Then again, it's easy for people with money to make more money), or the existence of Daisy's kid (the most heroically overlooked detail).
If there is a different path for Gatsby, the themes still should come through for a good ending. Like, if Tom dies before their confritaion then Gatsby would demand that she not greive--even though that will cut her off from inheritting her husband's wealth. So, she grieves publicly and gets her bag. So, Gatsby is left on his dock staring out at that green light, again.

Or, even a happy ending. Fortunatly, most avns aren't tragidies.

 

[DameJudyMench]

Whatever gets it out. Everything starts somewhere. Most of my stories start with a short story. Like five hundred to a thousand words of a scene. Then take that tone and themes and expand on them.

I have 2 that i have the ideas down for, had 19 pages for one but HD crash. I write in screenplay format normally, and have been pushing into more novelization. Trying to do more index carding to have a better plan to reach the end.

I haven't done a lot with branching paths, yet. The way I've been going about it is to not make choices. I don't make the choice, it's up to the payer. So, then I write both paths or I make a variable to show the choice and I reference it later.

The issue isnt necessarily the actual writing of a path for me as much as keeping it organized for the visuals and programming side. Example - the 19 pages i had (word doc) had 6 choices. (One of which had 3 options, the others 2).

At first i was doing a page break writing out 1 choice, page break writing out the other. It was unweildy, so i though maybe columns for each choice. That was great, but then the paths diverge, not just a slightly different dialoge choice, and they may or may merge depending on character choice. Once it gets disorganized like that its all i can think about instead of writing

 

[DameJudyMench]

For example the theme of the Great Gatsby is hope.

I love that you're coming in with gatsby here, and a solid breakdown at that

 

[Buddy]

There are a few writing programs that let you break things down by with paths and note cards. Campfire is one.

As I write, I keep an outline and plotpoints underneath where I am actively writing and at the top of my document, I have a list of all of the veriables. And I use renpy's programming commands as I write.
If I make a branched choice that skips a scene. I'll make a true/false or a point total for the positive choice and I'll make a skip for the negative choices. For a skip, it will be "Call" or "Jump" then I name the skip label, which the regular story will catch up with.

top of dock
default affection == -3
default relationship == False

menu:
"Kiss the girl":
-descriptions-
$ affection += 5
$ relationship == True
"It doesn't mean anything":
$ affection += 1
"No. Gross. Koodies.":
$ affection -=1
call kissover
#
-discription of kiss
if relationship = True:
- a thing the girl would say if you were romantic
#
if affection >= 1
-boundry pushed
#
label kissover:
if affection >=0:
-girl acts really happy
else:
-girl remembers she's late and runs away
#

Everyone is different, though. I'm a chaos goblin.

 

[KyunKun]

Interesting. Although I see what you are writing, Organizing still seems like the hurdle for me as well. Keeping track of loose ends, Little variations of dialog based on previous choices. It seems all so overwhelming. Ive tried just writing but my mind goes WAY faster than my pencil and 2 paragraphs in Im frustrated and lost in my own story. Its painful.

 

[Buddy]

Try typing and focusing on the details to slow yourself down. The actual act of writing is what takes practice.

Nothing is ever as good as how it sounds in your head, which is why you need to get it out. Otherwise you are just getting high on your own supply--like brain crack.