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The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
For the December Bucky contest (because that sounds better than the "December Ballad Contest anniversary contest that is not a ballad contest contest"), my prompt is:

The emperor sends you to a faraway land to capture exotic beasts for his zoo. But a spreading plague, a witch-doctor, and a brewing feud between local tribes presents . . . difficulties.

Should be fun. I picked this one because I can see more options to make this a CYOA story. I imagine you, the good reader, heading out and running into trouble with endings that have lots of deaths, but also different paths that can take you to different results and different monsters. With only a month, I'm not sure how detailed I'll get, but perhaps even things you can do that can increase your success or something like that. And if you do manage to dodge all the death endings, I think you might end up with anything from some new magical flying beast for the zoo to a new tiny lizard.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
I think this prompt was a great choice for you, Ogre. I'm looking forward to it!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Thanks, I do think this will be fun -- but the danger is certainly going to be there that I end up with so many choices and options that each path will end up being way too short! I hope that's not the case, but it's going to take some planning (which I've already started).

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 1, Update #2:

I've got the start planned out. I have 12 possible endings already set. I'm not sure yet how to get from one to the other yet.

Also, I'm trying to decide the question I always have with these: Do I allow the reader to choose not to play? In other words, for this one, the main storyline is going to revolve around the reader going to capture an exotic beast. I wonder if I should allow the reader the choice to simply NOT go. I mean, I want to give that choice, but at the same time I hate to spend too much time on that pathway, but I also don't want to make that pathway two clicks and you're done. I could go with forcing the reader back into the main pathway, but I don't really love doing that, either.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

You should just tell the readers to fuck off if they choose not to, and then specifically call out Bucky and any potential judges as being cunts and not actually writing a plot.

Alternatively, you could write it so that the circumstances that force the player to go on this mission isn't really affordible. Perhaps they can't afford not to, as they're in debt with some bad people. Maybe they're just aware that it's best not to say no to a King. Or fuck it, maybe you could just give them the two clicks, and point out their character died of polio for being so boring. Anything works.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Don't give them a choice to opt out, and just include a really good reason why the character wouldn't want to. You don't need to offer an option to walk off of every cliff or drink every bottle of Bleach you come across either. (or let them click the choice if you just need a choice to break up a page, and then be like 'nah on second thought, this would be stupid/suicidal because...')

IDK, some people like to give them a chance to escape two clicks in, but as for me I'd almost rather have them just stop reading if they're just completely not invested in the story rather than give them a chance to put a rating in while having only seen the first two pages and an abrupt end.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Maybe with this one I'll allow the reader to head down that path. Then maybe give them an option or two to get back on the path. But if the reader insists on taking the non-hunt down a monster path, maybe I'll break that fourth wall and give them a good talking to...

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 2, Update #1

Ok so I spent (or wasted) a couple days on the avoidance path. I tried to make it a little interesting, and there are numerous obvious opportunities to get back on the main path. But if you insist, you can completely avoid the story. Then you will get a mini-story that will I think end up around 2,000 words or so, have at least 6 or 7 pages, and a number of choices.

Next I think I might actually work on the main story...

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 2, Update #2:

Remember that avoidance pathway? Yeah, well, I seem to have added another one. So now there's around 16 or so pages planned and mapped out. There's two endings in there that you really have to want. They have nothing to do with the story, however.

One day I suppose I'll write something for the actual story or something...

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
I'm sure glad I'm not competing with you in this contest. Oh wait, I am.

Anyway, good luck to you all the same.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Oh, it's all in fun! My favorite part of these contests is reading all the new stories!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 3, Update #1

Week three already? Maybe I just can't count. Anyway, I've actually started on figuring out the main story finally. I'm reasonably sure this will end up being mostly a branch and bottleneck-style of story, with a few random quest directions outside the main pathway for those who just can't seem to stay on track when reading. I wonder if I should call those the "ADHD pathways." I'm also working on finding ways for very early story actions to effect potential endings and I'm going to throw in some random numbers just because I can.

Hopefully I won't get too carried away here and will be able to keep this thing in focus. I will have a lot more time during break time next week, so we'll see how things go when that time opens up for me -- or if I just spend all my extra free time finding a new Netflix series to binge, or just plain surf the Internet for days at a time.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Good golly and tarnation! I just put the map of everything NOT including the main storyline (the pre-storyline options) and I've already got 23 darn pages. I really need to stop giving the reader so many choices.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 3, Update #2:

Yeah, not much going on here. Did I mention that I'm a professional-level procrastinator?

I have done a little mapping and planning out. I've got paths to the three main obstacles for the main story. I'm trying to decide exactly how to implement the obstacles, whether they will all be basically the same, and how that will relate to the goals of the story. That section of the story is leaning more towards interactive fiction, where you can wander about the lands at will, exploring. So I'm trying to decide how much to force a story into that. I'm also currently thinking the three obstacles are non-sequential...maybe they should be sequential... but if they are sequential this will really be a straight line with few real choices...

For example, let's say I've got the whole map laid out and have paths to all the places on the map. I'm trying to decide how to implement the final search. Your goal is to find a new animal. So without making it a click-fest, I'm working on how that works. So if you go to the first obstacle and don't make it, is the story over? Is it just a matter of clicking the right choice to get past the first obstacle? And when you do, will that lead you to a final animal goal? And if so, can you reject that and continue looking? I'm thinking you need to get past all the obstacles and continue searching to find the "best" animal. So do I need to implement state-tracking to see each animal you reject? And then I'll have to ensure you can't find that animal a second time, of course, no matter how much you search.

Hmmm....

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

I feel like this would have been a very easy prompt to transform into a science-fiction story. Alien zoo, exotic beasts being earth animals (including humans), etc...

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
I am having fun with the setting. I'm not into outer space, but I'm also not really clear if this is set in fantasy times or some other time...intentionally... :)

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 4, Update #1:

Okay, I think I've done just about all the planning I can do at this point. After all, there's less than two weeks left now. So I've got all the pages entered and all the paths laid out. Now I just have to write all the descriptions and the story into those pages. I've got more time now, so that should be good.

It has turned out to be a puzzle game. You're going to have to get past those three obstacles (well, unless, of course, you take one of the easy ways out), and solve little puzzles to get past them. Nothing too complex, but hopefully at least interesting and not just a "click until you get to the end" puzzle. A pile of items (oh yeah, I need to get those online) and other stuff. I'm still trying to figure out how to implement the little logic puzzle. Right now I'm thinking of setting up the puzzle and then just listing list 30 choices -- 29 of which lead you to the wrong answer. Of course that means I have to come up with 29 wrong answers... maybe it will be a bigger logic puzzle with a numerical answer... oh that could be mean if the answer was like 22 and your choices were 0 to 50...

Anyway, I'm still struggling with how to implement the ending. You will (most likely) end up with an animal that you've captured for the zoo. I have a list of 20 animals. Some are clearly better than others. But I'm trying to figure out how to implement that in the game. I mean, if you get a golden turtle, how do you know if that's better than an albino mosquito? Maybe I'll list them all somewhere -- on the last page? Or on the intro page? I think if I had more time, I'd let you capture as many as you wanted so you could keep playing until you got them all. I can't get that logic in place in two weeks and write the story, though. But hey, that reminds me -- less updating, more writing!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

That seems really cool. Can't way to play it, Ogre, seems like an awesome game. 

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Thanks! I hope it comes out as awesome as I'm picturing it in my head!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

Maybe make the ending dependent on which animal you end up with. You can express whether one animal is better than the other by describing the Emperor's reaction to whatever animal you end up with, with varying degrees of joy, sadness, anger, or disappointment.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Thank you for the idea. I was thinking along those lines -- but I've got 20 animals. And I'm thinking I need to convey to the reader that one reaction is better than another: "The emperor smiles." "The emperor smiles a lot." "The emperor REALLY smiles..."

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Still trying to decide on that logic problem... do I make a massive logic problem with the grid-style that people really have to work to solve? And can I really do that? After all, if I want the person to not just guess at the answer, that means a grid that's just darn huge...

Maybe I should just do the old truth logic problem and let people choose one of four or five answers and if people want to just click, they just click and back up when they guess wrong...

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 4, Update #2:

Hmmmm... For the first time, I'm worried about not getting this done in time! I thought I'd have a lot more time this week to write, but pneumonia tends to wear you down a bit. I have to have this think published by Dec 29 because I've got tons going on the 30th and I'm traveling all day the 31st. Then there's that whole Christmas thing coming up this weekend. So I really feel like I've got four days or so to finish this thing, and that's going to be tough.

Of course, it probably doesn't help that I've now put like 3,000 words into final production (sounds impressive, doesn't it?) -- which means they are in the pages on the site and done, and those 3,000 words are all in the sidetracking directions and not actually part of the main story. I think I had way too much fun with those, and I'm guessing only those who really explore will find all of those directions.

But I'll keep on trucking and see where this leads. I'm not giving up, just wondering if I had planned a little bit too much for the last week of the contest.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

Don't give up! >:D
I'm also experiencing serious lag in my writing, and winter break isn't offering opportunities for me to write. :(

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 5, Update #1:

Well, I can't say I actually expected to get anything done there in the last few days. But today is when the extra time for writing starts! I should have lots of time between now and the next update to really start getting some words down. And with the week extension, I don't actually have to finish by Friday, so I'm feeling pretty good about this one. It's not going to be an epic by any means, but one-month long stories by me are never really that long -- the time frame and short deadline just help me finish things I've got started in my mind!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

Yay! ^w^ What part of the story are you at right now? :o

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
I'm about 4,500 words in, and I've finally completed all the distraction paths. Now I have a couple more pages to write before you get to the real interactive fiction section with the map where you have to run around and solve the puzzles. You know, the actual storygame part with the zoo and the animals.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

Ayy sounds like what I did with my story. Bit of normal pick your paths and then a city where you run around doing things.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
And to make it simpler and more in line with the actual prompt, I'm toying with the idea of getting rid of the different possible animals -- all or nothing! Either you find your way all the way to the magical animal at the end, past all the obstacles, or you go home empty handed.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Week 5, Update #2:

Whew! I think I actually might have made the old deadline. But now I should have time to go back and fix things and really look for typos and things.

I've made a few adjustments and changes. I had forgotten how long it takes to add items: find a picture, download a picture, resize the picture, upload the picture to the site, write a default use page, then go create the item and connect the picture and the use page. Repeat x15. No matter, all the items are in.

Also, I've got two of the puzzles complete. The biggest change is that I've gotten rid of the idea of finding any of a series of animals for the zoo. Now there's just one animal hidden in one place that you have to find by getting past the puzzles. Then you win. I have about a dozen pages left to write, and I still haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to implement the logic problem for the last puzzle, but I should get most of that done today, hooray!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Well I guess I did finish it on time. Yay! Have fun, I do hope you like it.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Congrats! Now we wait to see if there are enough submissions for there to actually be a contest. My money's on yes since the long shot managed to publish his.

I'll probably start reading all the contest stories when my nerves have had a chance to settle.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Thanks!

Yeah, the over/under was around 13, so I'm pretty sure we'll see at least the 5.

As for reading contest entries like this, I always look for more time because these usually aren't that short with a few clicks and you're done!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Actually IAP publishing confirms we'll have the minimum. Malk's is done, he's just editing right now. And Steve damn well better finish or no one will believe in his silly, impossible word count claims.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

On it.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

Started reading this.

Managed to be an accountant on the first try. yes

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
I'll start this one soon. Going to do the remaining entries in order of submission as soon as I run out of excuses to avoid them altogether.

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago

I tried to catch animals. I keep failing. :<

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Failing?!? I hope you at least got the motivational speech to keep going!

The Emperor's Zoo

6 years ago
Impressive...or at least a really good guess with the accounting question... ;)