FortWriting Comp 18 April till 8 May-Choose yer own Adventure -WiNNERS Announced

[Dualnames]

The last time I "won" we had the Hitchhiker's Build your own Entry theme. This time I'm going for something weirder..and more random.

THE...
BUILD...
YOUR OWN...
ADVENTURE...



Yep, it's tough. You need many pages to make a good one. But do you?
Just use the hide to hide stuff.

Example:
You see a pile of poo
To wait go to A
To eat it go to B
A

Spoiler

You die. close the book

[close]

B

Spoiler

Yuck!! Go to C

[close]

Rules:
-Unlimited Size.
-Any theme is fine.

[Play_Pretend]

Haha!  Funny theme.

(Also, um...you've set the contest dates for nearly 11 months long. )

[uncle-mum]

Great idea, I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this one.

[MoodyBlues]

HA!  I thought that was a real cover for a while.

Fun theme!  I might have a go at this one.

[Play_Pretend]

"You chose to sleep with Dr. Manhattan!  You get CANCER!  The end."

[Wyz]

Swell It looks like a project of mine currently running on google groups. I'd see if I can find some time to enter.

[Dualnames]

Yeah, well I hoped to be running this for quite a long time, but crap.

[Trihan]

If you're using that format, wouldn't everything past the first choices have to be in spoiler tags? Might get a bit difficult to read.

[Wyz]

I guess, number every story segment, and put the segement itself in the spoiler tag.

[Stupot]

My first ever 'choose your own' book was a Mario Bros. one.
Then I progressed to the Goosebumps specials. ;-)

Do we have to use your spoiler tag format or could we make our own one using webpages?

[Humbolt Steelwheels]

If you're using that format, wouldn't everything past the first choices have to be in spoiler tags? Might get a bit difficult to read.

Do we have to use your spoiler tag format or could we make our own one using webpages?

If the option exists to use a method besides spoiler tags, might I suggest my "select your own adventure" interpreter? It's a simple little Flash file that can interpret a basic "choose your own adventure" style book stored in XML and display it interactively so it's easy to navigate. You can download it as a rar from FileFront (I know, FileFront is terrible - if anyone wants to mirror the file somewhere else, feel free to do so):

http://files.filefront.com/syoa+interpreterrar/;13698591;/fileinfo.html

With this interpreter, people could either embed the appropriately configured Flash file on a web page or just put their XML file up for download (in which case people could run the interpreter locally to read through the story).

If this contest is still running in early May, I'll likely enter - I've always been fond of the CYOA genre due to its potential for humour.

EDIT (02 May 2009): I've updated the interpreter to fix a small bug with the option text not wrapping properly.

[Dualnames]

I'm actually quite free of how the story should appear, pdf, word, as a post, as that flash thing..

[monkey0506]

Intro
Since you were a child, adventure has always been a part of your life. From sailing the Caribbean with Guybrush Threepwood, to cruising for ladies with Larry Laffer, not to mention your quests through the glorious kingdom of Daventry. One day while surfing the web, you stumble upon something you had never previously thought possible. People, your own age, with no prior knowledge or experience, were designing their own graphic adventures for their PCs. Elated, you immediately seek out the best possible program so you can start designing your own games!

If you choose to write your game with Adventure Game Studio, go to page 1, if you choose Wintermute go to page 2.



Page 1

Spoiler

You download AGS, and you can barely contain yourself. Looking over the features and the game base that has already been made, you're confident you'll get the hang of it in no time. You stare impatiently as the progress bar moves, bit by bit toward the right side of the screen.

Your mom enters the room carrying a basket of your clothes, "Would you please fold these and put them away? I'm going back downstairs to cook dinner. I expect it to be finished by the time I have dinner ready."

If you choose to fold your laundry, go to page 4, otherwise go to page 5.

[close]

Page 2

Spoiler

You choose to use WME to design your game. Go to page 3.

[close]

Page 3

Spoiler

While you're waiting for the download to finish, you decide to do something about the throbbing in your groin and check out the latest Page 3 girls online. Your mom walks in on you, and takes your computer away from you. The download was at 99% too. What a shame. END

[close]

Page 4

Spoiler

You finish putting away the last of your laundry just as the download reaches 100%. Perfect timing! Now you just have to wait for the editor to install. Downstairs you hear your mother calling for you to go and set the table. If you go downstairs, go to page 6. To stay until the editor is installed go to page 7.

[close]

Page 5

Spoiler

Folding laundry is pointless. It's just going to get wrinkled when you put it on anyway. Go to page 3.

[close]

Page 6

Spoiler

As you're heading back upstairs you hear noise coming from your room. Elaine! You run to your door to find, just as you'd expected, your younger sister sitting at your computer, mashing buttons on the keyboard.

"No, get away from there!" you shout.

As you rush over to try and stop her mashing the keyboard, you knock her cup of juice all over the computer. As the sweet liquid drains inside the case you hear the sparks of your motherboard shorting out.

"ELAINE! Look what you did now!" you yell pointlessly. It's too late to do anything now. Elaine's eyes fill with tears and as she opens her mouth a long, high-pitched wail comes out. Go to page 8.

[close]

Page 7

Spoiler

Eating can wait, it's not every day you get to write your own adventure games! The installation goes smoothly, and just as you're about to start up the editor for the first time your mom enters the room again.

"Honey, didn't you hear me calling? I need your help in the kitchen."

"Just a second mom."

"You've been on the computer all day. Your father's getting home from work soon and I want everything to be ready so we can eat when he gets here."

"Okay mom."

Go to page 9.

[close]

Page 8

Spoiler

"What's all the screaming about?" your father asks, standing in the doorway.

"Elaine destroyed my computer!" you exclaim.

"Did she now? And what was she doing in your room?" he asks as he takes Elaine up in his arms, calming her down.

"Well..." you explain.

"Your mother and I have told you, you can't blame her for getting into your things if you're going to leave your door open when you leave the room."

"But dad!" you contest.

"Enough. Come downstairs for dinner. Perhaps next year if you're a bit more responsible with your things we will see about getting you another computer."

"That is so unfair!"

"So is you blaming your two-year-old sister. She doesn't know any better. Now come downstairs." END

[close]

Page 9

Spoiler

As you finish setting the table, your father walks through the front door.

"Hi dad!"

"Hello son. I see dinner's ready. Go and get Elaine and bring her downstairs for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," you lie.

"Well we're not going to let your mother's good cooking go to waste."

You reluctantly trudge upstairs, and slow even more with your kid sister in-tow.

If you decide to fake an illness, go to page 11, otherwise go to page 10.

[close]

Page 10

Spoiler

Your mom cooked your favorite: roast beef. Even still, somehow your mind keeps wandering back upstairs. You hurriedly finish your meal and rush back to get started with the editor. Go to page 12.

[close]

Page 11

Spoiler

As you enter the dining room, you suddenly grab your stomach. "I don't feel so good..." you groan. Your mom feels your forehead.

"Well, you are a bit warm. Off to bed then." She kisses you on your forehead and you hurry upstairs, trying not to look too happy with her decision. Go to page 12.

[close]

Page 12

Spoiler

You launch the editor and suddenly you're completely lost. What now? You look around and you see that AGS includes a help file. You open it and find that there's a tutorial. That seems a good place to start, but the start page also says something about the AGS forums...to read through the tutorial, go to page 14. To start with the AGS forums, go to page 13.

[close]

Page 13

Spoiler

You register for the forums and decide that the beginner's forum would be a good place to post. You're in a hurry so you make sure to use CAPS LOCK to add emphasis to your post. "PLEEZ SUM1 HELP ME 2 MAKING MY GAME. I JUST STARTED AND AM LOST LOL. HOW TO USE AGS PLZTHX!"

Within minutes, the moderator responds, "Welcome to the AGS forums. Please read the forum rules before posting." He locks your thread. What a jerk! Oh well, as you look around, you find threads related to some of the questions you had. Go to page 15.

[close]

Page 14

Spoiler

You find the tutorial very thorough and user-friendly. It really breaks down the simplest aspects of making a game, and by the time you're finished you feel prepared, and confident that you can do this! You were unclear about a couple of points the first time, but when you read back over them you understood it. To get started making your game, go to page 16.

[close]

Page 15

Spoiler

As you continue working to make your game, you have a lot of questions. Nobody really seems willing to help though. People keep calling you a troll and telling you to stop using caps. Don't they understand how urgent it is that you release your first game? You download some graphics from the internet and throw them all together. They don't really match or conform to any style, but you don't have time to worry about something so trivial as that. Within a few hours time your game is completed. You upload it, but when it gets graded by the AGS Panel you only get one blue cup. The few people who actually downloaded it all make sure to tell you how wretched your game was. "Screw them!" you say to yourself, and uninstall the AGS editor. You always thought Wintermute sounded more professional anyway. Go to page 3.

[close]

Page 16

Spoiler

You realize that making a quality game is going to take a bit longer than you expected at first. This is a whole new concept to you, so it's going to be a while before you're accustomed to the tools. You have a lot of questions about the editor, general game design, etc. but everyone in the AGS forums is always very willing to assist you. Within a few months you upload your first game. It's only a few rooms long, and you don't really do anything extravagant with it. However, you receive good reviews. The community is friendly in critiquing your work without bashing it. Confident that your experience has left you all the wiser, you get started on your next project...it will be larger than your first, and hopefully better. Either way, congratulations on releasing your first game! END

[close]

Spoiler

Despite the Monkey Island reference, I actually got the name "Elaine" from my 2 year old niece. Where my sister got the name is contestable.

[close]

[Stupot]

I've been hit with a rare moment of inspiration and have something kind of interesting lined up.  Watch this space.

[monkey0506]

Inspiration? Aww...and here I was shooting for win by default. :'(



I'm waiting...

[Dualnames]

Inspiration? Aww...and here I was shooting for win by default. :'(



I'm waiting...

I'd never let you win by default..
Or perhaps I would.

[Trihan]

Not when I haven't posted my entry yet...

[monkey0506]

Actually as long as I can put off you posting your entry until at least 1 June...

FOR THE WIN!!!



You're getting sleepy...your eyelids are getting heavy...all your cares are drifting away...nothing matters...just sleep....sleep....sleep......

NONE MAY RESIST THE POWER OF PIRATE WATCH!!!11

[Trent R]

Not an entry:



~Trent

[magintz]

Haha!