I'm in a rather drunken state. So if i missed anything critical to either of your stories, do forgive me. 

Story A: 

I loved story A, for a short story it's rather complete. What i enjoyed most about it is how in-depth the world already is. We have the protagonist whose unsure of the mission to begin with. We have our antagonist (the wizard of the fortress), and hes given surprising depth, the idea of him being a betrayed exile sort of anti-hero with a legitimate claim to the castle added much needed nuance to him as the antagonist. It allowed me as the reader to go "okay, maybe he is right". Overall it was very engaging, and is the sort of short story which if expanded would function as a great standalone story. 

I found the ending to be a bit bleak for my tastes. Id have maybe liked to have seen a bit more grit from the protagonist, or a more forward outlook from him at the end. It seems like he just kind of resigns to being considered crazy, resigning himself to his exile. A bit more spirit or backbone from him would have rounded out his character a bit more, in my opinion. 

Story B: 

Another great story. Depending on how you choose to see it, its still rather dark, like story A but definitely with a bit more of a wholesome flavour to it. I found story B a bit more lacking in terms of world development compared to story A. We dont exactly get a good idea on why these creatures exist, mostly just that they're mute. I'd have enjoyed a bit more fleshing out there for sure. The dog is cute and a much needed supporting cast. Story B conveys so much through the dogs body language, true MVP of the story. My main gripe with story B is that we don't really get to know the world very much, the creatures, our past, and why exactly we're in the circumstances we are is only vaguely touched upon. We also don't really seem to get as much reaction to seeing the 'creatures' as much as id expect, but maybe that impression comes from not understanding the broader world as much yet. 

Overall, I vote for story A. It has a more complete antagonist, higher stakes, and more in-depth world-building, which steals it for me. 

I just finished playing Dispatch. Sick game, and a definite recommend to anyone who hasn't played it yet. 

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you're all having a nice day. 

1) What are the elements you're looking for in an enjoyable storygame?

I think for me, the most important thing is complex characters with complex worldviews. Cookie-cutter, one-dimensional characters will almost always significantly lower the quality of the story for me.

2) Is there any pet peeve that will instantly annoy you enough to lower your rating?

Probably not, or at least nothing I can think of. Nothing would make me lower a story's rating more, though, than an author who clearly hasn't tried. But that's not really a pet peeve.

3) Do you feel it's necessary to read an entire storygame with all paths before rating/reviewing? (Please cite Biblical sources for your objective opinion.)

No. My goal when reviewing a story isn't for it to be the best review or the most clinically accurate. My main goal is simply to enjoy what I read and give the author their due if the story achieves that. Being technical in your reviews is cool, and it's enjoyed by a lot of readers and writers, but acting like an Excel spreadsheet while reviewing sometimes requires too much of an eagle-eyed view of the story. It makes it so I can't get lost in the weeds emotionally. Honestly, reading all the different paths just doesn't necessarily feel worth the payoff if my goal is to enjoy my time.  

And what do the actual number ratings mean to you, what's your system there?

1 - Clearly a troll story; the writer didn't even try.

2 - The writer didn't try enough.

3 - The writer tried a bit but has severe and numerous limitations, and probably didn't try hard enough overall.

4 - Below average. It's probably boring, and I'm struggling to keep my eyes from glazing over and clicking away.

5 - It's okay. I can read it, and it's better than just staring into space or thinking about what to eat.

6 - Above average. I enjoyed it, but it probably has a few issues that rubbed me the wrong way, stopping it from getting a higher mark.

7 - An objectively good story with some standout features. I liked it a lot and will think about the characters and story for a while after reading it.

8 - A really good story with a clear plan from the author. This is someone who has clearly put time, thought, and effort into their work. An 8 ultimately doesn't leave me feeling bugged or slightly dissatisfied with certain elements. A true 8 is a story I will barely criticize in a review; I'll probably just gush and say 'wow' about how much I enjoyed it.

"Depression isn’t just sadness. Sadness is clean, you lose something, you cry, it hurts, and eventually it passes. But depression, that runs deeper. It’s heavier, stranger. It isn’t one clean emotion at all, it’s what happens when the story you’ve been living by collapses.

For years you’ve played a role. Maybe the strong one, the reliable one, the one who keeps moving no matter what. And that role gave you direction, maybe even identity. But one day, it stops fitting. The mask cracks, the costume slips, and suddenly the life you’ve been living feels like a lie.

And that emptiness? That’s not proof that you’re broken. That’s your spirit saying, I refuse to keep marching to a script that doesn’t feel true anymore.

It feels like the ground has given way, but maybe that old ground was never real to begin with.

Depression rips the mask off, and what’s left isn’t failure, it’s the raw, unpolished self. The part of you that doesn’t need applause or approval anymore, the part of you that simply needs to be.

And yes, that’s terrifying. Because if you’re not who you thought you were, then who are you? And what’s the point? But that question, that’s the moment something more authentic begins to breathe.

So if you’re there now, in that dark silence, don’t mistake it for the end. That silence is soil. It’s the strange, difficult ground where transformation takes root.

Depression isn’t proof that you’ve failed, it’s the proof that your soul is strong enough to demand something real.”

" Isn't it strange how paradoxical your world feels? Learning something new makes you feel dumb, before it makes you feel wise. Working out makes you feel weak, before it makes you strong. Facing your fears makes you feel terrified, before it makes you brave.

In order to heal, you have to suffer, and in order to have peace, you need chaos. Because Life disguises growth as failure, and progress as pain.

But if it feels hard, it probably matters, because becoming is messy. It breaks who you were to make room for who you're meant to be. So if you feel tired, uncertain, and behind, you might just be in the middle of becoming, and thats exactly where you're supposed to be." - Alan Watts

" I cAnT SeE frOm a WoMAns POV beCauSE I DoNtT HaVe BoOBS" 

Dude, most people can watch The Lion King and relate to animated animals. As a man, I typically prefer male protagonists, but I can certainly enjoy a female protagonist, just like I can an anthropomorphized animal or even a damn car if its written well enough. How is being a woman such a big symmetry breaker?

Fair.

Life will probably force him to loosen his views a lot, like you said, he's quite young. I remember having rather conservative views about stuff like sex too when I was a kid, it seems pretty typical for children to be that way. Sex is always icky. People almost never change their minds in the moment, never expect that in a debate, it's in the hours and days after, when they're still chewing on it that they start rethinking things. With some of the comments that were made though, it made me feel like we had Bezro back, warping IP addresses and time and space.

I always get edits of that quote on YouTube shorts. The lore sounds so cool, definitely going to have to check this one out.