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So, once you hit publish, can you still edit?  I am big into getting a good chunk done then letting it out continueing work.  I like to know what people think as I go (this is from my exp with fanfiction.net, not here, this is my first time on CYOA).  I just wanna know if I could publish my story then keep working on it?

Only through unpublishing. This will also remove your ratings and comments, so if you made a crappy story, at least you have a clean slate once you remake it :)

Unpublishing basically does what it sounds like. No one will be able to play it unless you give them the link, and you are once again able to work on the game. You can find the button by clicking the My Stuff section, which should automatically direct you to the storygame tab. From there just click the unpublish button next to the name. 3J can also override you and forcefully unpublish it if he decides it is extremely bad or has a flaw that absolutely needs to be addressed. Don't think he uses that willy-nilly though, he uses it rarely, and normally after public consensus has been achieved.

Yeah, from what I have seen and read I can tell the admins are pretty awesome around here.  I just found this site today, because I had a craving to make my own story.  I'll ask another question then. How violent is too violent? I mean, what I do is probably as bad as a pg13 movie to maybe an R rated movie.  That isn't a problem as long as I rate it appropriatly right?

Can you go into specifics about the content please? Thats the way I can accurately decide the rating. As far as rating appropriately, I don't think anyone will complain if you rate over what it should be, only under. Like passing out in a toilet filled with your own vomit and drowning as a consequence would not warrant a 3. I do think that 3J can change the maturity ratings, through unpublishing or not I don't know, you would have to ask him. I also don't know if other admins can do it. 3J is both the most active and powerful admin, so I mostly just know about his abilities.

Another thing about violence, in my upcoming story, a zombie grabs a guy, beats him senseless, and bashes his brains against a wall. For that instance I change the maturity to a 5. Hope that helps you have something to base it off of.

I would say nothing is too violent. But yeah, be careful not to under-rate your maturity, at least not too much. That's not very difficult though, just go with what you feel it is. Remember that the highest maturity rating (I think it's a seven) is extremely graphic, like love sick and such. I doubt you'll go that far, but then again, it's not impossible.

A seven for violence would be something like stabbing out an eye, using the wound to blow out their brain, then defocating on the corpse. I havn't seen many violence stories warranting that rating or being that bad, but as long as it is a good story I don't think anyone will mind someone does. That's what the maturity rating is for anyway, to keep people who don't want to see that stuff out.

Precisely.

Cool. Yeah mine is just normal blood and gore. Stabbing, shooting, regular stuff like that.  Its a bit of a sci-fi survival game so... I think I will be okay. BTW I love zombie stuff, so I might check out your work when you get it up.

My type of place if nothing is too violent ;)

Let me be stupid and ask one last question. Without publishing, is there anyway someone can play the story? (other than the author of course) Can you give a link and have it played before its released?

Actually yes, and there are no stupid questions, just answers :). I'm gonna message you a link to a story, you take that link, replace the name (using underslashes as spaces) with your story's name, then send it to someone. As far as I know, Ugi started that method.

Blast! You beat me too it!

Good thing too, you kinda gave more information than I did.

Yes, if you copy the url and give it to someone, that url will work for them as well, in fact, this is used for others to test the games without being co-authors.

Thanks. You guys are pretty awesome. This is the first site I have ever been on where I havent been treated like crap for asking very newbie questions.  Even on forums for such things people get pretty vicious. Its crazy.

Well, as far as I know almost everyone who is active on this site is pretty friendly, and I don't believe in getting mad at nooby questions, they're the best way to stop someone from being a noob. Never be scared to ask a question, especially when you get into stuff about scripting and the like.

AAAAAAARG!

unless of course you double-post them :)

I hear that.

Still, Bo is right. The way I see it, most people on this site enjoy helping others. I know I do (eh, Bo?)

Then I guess I don't feel as bad tossing out another question.  Is there a specific forum where its acceptable to put out a link to an unfinished game, just to get some initial feedback? Or is it just something you do with friends you make?

No, not post a link directly, but you could ask someone in the forums (or just through a message) to test your game, and then send the link to the person you have decided to be your tester.

Yay! Bo didn't cut me off!

Cool Cool. Just wanted to make sure. I don't want to annoy anyone on my first day.  I'm just over eager I guess to see if I am creating something that is semi-acceptible to read :P You know how it is.

I do. Like I said, we like helping people, ask whatever you want to know.

Well, not to bug you lots then, but would you have a look at what I have so far? (you can totally tell me no) Its not very long, and I havent even started editing for spelling and grammer, but my style is there, and that is what I am most worried about.

I'm not a native english speaker, so spelling and grammar errors aren't really something I can afford to bitch about. But sure, PM me a link to your storygame and I'll give you feedback.

If any forum, I would say toss it into the writing workshop simply because you are using to get better at your writing via feedback.

I still isn't wrong for Newbie Central...is it? I mean, he's asking about publishing and testing...not actual writing.

No one would get uptight over that?

I mean putting it in the workshop one

I think Bo is wrong. I think this doesn't qualify to writing, as this is more of help on the things around making the story, but not making the actual story.

It is a stretch to be sure, I was just putting what I would do in the same situation. I have dedicated a thread in the writing workshop to talk about whether one of my stories needed to be fanfic or not, so it doesn't neccesarily have to do with the making. If you do publish it or give a link or whatever to an unfinished story, be sure to put a demo tag to keep it from getting unpublished.

Good tip. I hadn't even thought of that.

That still doesn't apply to testing btw. Just to clarify that. Bo is only talking about when you publish an unfinished game.

Yeah, sorry if I made that confusing.

Nah its okay.

We've all been there ourselves. :D

Thats how I have felt about it.

Tara, if you want to get feedback on a storygame without publishing it you're more than welcome to put the link the in the Writing Workshop. That's what it's for.

As for that link actually working (the one that you post, that is) - you'll have to have the "Sneak Preview" box checked for the storygame you want to show, otherwise other people won't be able to view it (instead they'll just be redirected to the Storygames main page). You can turn it on by going into Game Options if you're using the old editor or through Storygame Properties if you're using the advanced one.

Just gonna reset the page down here for room in case you have future questions you don't want to make a new thread for.

Bo, the "method" you're talking about has been around since I've been on CYS, if not before. I joined when I was 14, almost 19 now haha.

Have you actually ever subtracted points from someone before? I wasn't aware you had that power.

He has threatened to do that to me once.

Over what?