Path Tracker

[cbx33]

So I've been thinking during the design of Convenience Wars that seeing as the game will be pretty huge in terms of the number of choices and alternative/optional scenes, it will be pretty difficult to keep track of. We also have some kinds of stats which the player accumulates during their adventure. I often wondered that when the player gets to a certain point in the game, what range of values their statistics would be. I wondered if people already had a tool that they used for finding this information out. I would love to track certain variables and know their upper/lower and median/mean through every combination of choice in the game. That way, I can make certain scenes further down the game for players that have tried REALLY hard to make their character a certain way.

My question is, does this exist anywhere? I know how to write it, but it will take me a little time. Would anyone also be interested in this tool?

[lemonscent]

I would love a tool like that.
I don't think it exists lol, but I could be wrong.
I haven't actively looked for one or anything.

[Ryue]

I'm using twine for similar things (planing scenes and layout of the game and what each decision has for consequences).

Twine itself is freeware
Download: http://www.gimcrackd.com/etc/src/
A simple tutorial: http://ryanscasey.com/twine/
Online reference http://gimcrackd.com/etc/doc/

Is that what you are looking for there?

[cbx33]

Twine needs manual input. I'm thinking of a script that does it for you. Much like this script that I wrote to help with character art creation. I called it CharBuilder

[Ryue]

AH so not a preplaning tool, but instead something that takes the script you have and makes a twine like plan out of it for representation and documentation?
(or if not what do you mean then with manual / not manual)?

[cbx33]

Yes that's what I mean, visually mapping your game automatically so you don't make mistakes.

[Ryue]

Cool. I don't think something like this exists already for renpy (as each VN engine would have had something like that hand programmed so that it can be used for it....and there are quite a few special cases if you also want to track (special only?) variables )

[SusanTheCat]

You could do something with GraphViz (http://www.graphviz.org/)

If you give me cookies, (virtual ones work) I could make a renpy to graphviz converter.

Are you using straight connections, or an event dispatcher?

Susan

[cbx33]

I was thinking GraphViz!! Great minds eh. The only place I can see it falling down is when variables are modified by functions etc. Or when a path is taken based on a variables value. The graphing of scenes is pretty trivial. Its the extra information I'm after. How likely is a scene going to be seen etc.

[SusanTheCat]

Phase one complete!

Now to add variable stuff. Any ideas on how you want it to look?

Susan

[SusanTheCat]

Sorry for the double post.

I just saw this article: http://www.ffnn.nl/pages/articles/media ... iz-dot.php

And was thinking it would be interesting useful to have something similar with variables that are changed in a label:

test.png (11 KiB) Viewed 1446 times

So in the start label, the two affection variables are changed
In the Park label, Rob affection is raised
In the Mall label, Joe's affection is raised
There is an if statement in the school that sends you to one of three scenes.

Does this work for people?

EDIT: OOoops! the way I wrote it has Rob saying hi if Joe's affection is above 0. Eeek!

Susan