Lemma Soft Forums

While my current vn project nears its finish, I've been trying to come up with a story for my next vn. But I keep running into a problem: how to write a story where the player can interact and effect the story.

Basically, what are some of the ways VN's and their stories handle player choice and interaction?

Depends on the genre really.

If it's mystery, it'll be based on making choices to help you solve said mystery. If it's a romance, your player interaction is based around whether or not you fail or succeed dating said person. Etc, etc.

I prefer more options, but some others prefer few. There's no set rule to it.

If you've never played a table top role playing game, like Dungeons and Dragons or Call of Cthulhu, I recommend seeing if you can find a group in your area. Those games are all about player interaction creating a story. They are my primary reference when I think about VN writing.

I think you should not really bother with this. If your story don't need interaction that's fine. But if your story provides the possibility to interact then that's great, too.

In my opinion the story comes first. It's really hard to write one good story. But if you allow the player to make choices that leads to mulitple endings you will have to write x good stories. It would be strange to have choices in your story but... well it does not matter what you chose. If your story does not allow changes or variations then there is no realy point in giving the player this kind of gameplay, right?
If your story is something you can read through in about 10 minutes it might not be necessary, too. If you have a certain message in your work and want to deliver it to your audiance then maybe choices will lead your audience to an ending that does not support your message.

On the other hand, if your want to put pressure on your player or if you want him to be able to explore his/her surroundings you may add quicktime events or point-and-click-gameplay. But again it really depends on your story.
When I started with Y;N it was pretty easy to find some gameplay elements, because the story "allows" it, or in other words: The story itself "includes" the gameplay. I did not thought about it in the first place. In general, it is a story about a girl who tries to escape from a strange world, where monsters are and where she has to face trial: So: Exploration, quicktime events and trial simulation.
When you're doing a game, you may start with the gameplay. When your writing a story, well of course you do start with the story. I have to admit that VNS try more and more to add "gameplay"-elements, which is pretty cool. But again, if you create a great story, believeable characters and a nice presentation that's pretty cool (and hard enough).

But to "answer" your question: This is what I do: Write down your plot/notes. Think about its parts and then "try to be in the story". Imagine you are the hero of this story: What are you doing? Why are you doing it? How will you move on? Are there any dangers you have to face? Do you have to talk to people? Are there any challanges? What goal are you triying to achieve? => What (in his/her feets would you do in a certain situation, if there are more then one possibility you may have found a good base for a gameplay-element), etc. => and: can this be an interaction element in my VN?

What is your topic?:
- Do you write about survival => maybe you can include survial gameplay
- Do you write a love story => maybe you can include some multiple choice
- Do you write an detective story => maybe you can include some point and click (investigation), or mulitple choice (questioning people) etc.

There are several possibilities. But it should always match your story.

For example, when I played "The Walking Dead" there is a ridicoules riddle you have to solve. It includes "Repairing a radio" by finding "batteries" and turning them around. First this riddle makes the quest-npc looks pretty stupid, because she wasn't able to put in the batteries the right way + this radio was never used again in the whole storyline. So, as a player, I was asking myself: Why the heck did I do this? There are zombies outside who are trying to kill me and I fix a bloody radio???!!
What I'm trying to say is: Don't include gameplay just to have it in your VN. Does it to support your story? That's what works the best (at least for me)^^

Hope I could help you. If you have anymore questions, just let me know^^

Mirrowdothack wrote:I think you should not really bother with this. If your story don't need interaction that's fine. But if you'r story provides the possibility to interact then that's great, too.

In my opinion the story comes first. It's really hard to write one good story. But if you allow the player to make choicec that leads to mulitple endings you will have to write x good stories. It would be strange to have choices in your story but... well it doess not matter what you chose. If your story does not allow changes or variations then there is no realy point in giving the player this kind of gameplay, right?
If your story is something you can read through in about 10 minutes it might not be necessary, too. If you have a certain message in your work and want to deliver it to your audiance then maybe choices will lead your audience to an ending that does not support your message.

On the other hand, if your want to put pressure on your player or if you want him to be able to explore his/her surrounginds you can add maybe quicktime events or point-and-click-gameplay. But again it really depends on your story.
When I started with Y;N it was pretty easy to find some gameplay elements, because the story "allows" it, or in other words: The story itselfe "includes" the gameplay. I did not thought about it in the first place. In general, it is a story abot a girl who tries to escape from a strange world, where monsters are and where she has to face trial: So: Exploration, quicktime events and trial simulation.
When you're doing a game, you may start with the gameplay. When your writing a story, well of course you do start with the story. I have to admit that VNS try more and more to add "gameplay"-elements, which is pretty cool. But again, if you create a great story, believeable characters and a nice presentation that's pretty cool (and hard enough).

But to "answer" your question: This is what I do: Write down your plot/notes. Think about its parts and then "try to be in the story". Imagine you are the hero of this story: What are you doing? Why are you doing it? How will you move on? Are there any dangers you have to face? Do you have to talk to people? Are there any challanges? What goal are you triying to achieve? => What (in his/her feets would you do in a certain situation, if there are more then one possibility you may have found a good base for a gameplay-element), etc.

What is your topic?:
- Do you write about survival => maybe you can include survial gameplay
- Do you write a love story => maybe you can include some multiple choice
- Do you write an detective story => maybe you can include some point and click (investigation), or mulitple choice (questioning people) etc.

There are several possibilities. But it should always match your story.

For example, when I played "The Walking Dead" there is a ridicoules riddle you have to solve. It includes "Repairing a radio" by finding "batteries" and turning them around. First this riddle makes the quest-npc looks pretty stupid, because she wasn't able to put in the batteries the right way + this radio was never used again in the whole storyline. So, as a player, I was asking myself: Why the heck did I do this. There are zombies outside who are trying to kill me and I fix a bloody radio???!!
What I'm trying to say is: Don't include gameplay just to have it in your VN. Do it to support your story. That's what works the best (at least for me)^^

Hope I could help you. If you have anymore questions, just let me know^^

Yah, I've been looking over someone of my other unfinished projects and compared them to my current project and this is what I have come up with: some stories allow for choice, while others don't.

With that said, my current project has not shown the slightest sign of allowing for choice (and I don't like minigames tbh); and as I really want to make a VN that involves choice, to explore all that is only possible with interactive storytelling, I think I'll be falling back to an idea I had awhile back (I had some cool ideas for it, like involving a metagame to unlock the final two routes)

Vin Howard wrote: Yah, I've been looking over someone of my other unfinished projects and compared them to my current project and this is what I have come up with: some stories allow for choice, while others don't.

With that said, my current project has not shown the slightest sign of allowing for choice (and I don't like minigames tbh); and as I really want to make a VN that involves choice, to explore all that is only possible with interactive storytelling, I think I'll be falling back to an idea I had awhile back (I had some cool ideas for it, like involving a metagame to unlock the final two routes)

Sounds like a plan.^^ If you need any help, just let me know.
If you want to, you can send me some notes about your story ideas. Maybe I can help you with some gameplay ideas^^
It's easier to find something if you have some ideas about the story.

Anyway, I wish you much success with your project^^
I'm sure you will be able to find a way to create what you want

I agree a lot with Mirrowdothack, having to play through a lot of minigames when there is a good story to be read can become a bit tedious and if it's not handled well, it can get confusing. Having choices throughout the story is personally what I prefer to do in my own projects, but I have also thought about doing different sorts of player interactions depending on the games I make in the future, but in the end it's up to you and the plot of your story as well.