The Weekly Review - Edition 1
Published every Friday, Editor: Will11, Special Thanks: EndMaster
Editor’s Intro
This is a weekly review (see title) that critiques the top story-games that have been published this week, reviews the most popular story-games on this site and publishes interviews with talented authors, both the old and the new. Further articles include Writer’s Tips, Weekly Puzzles and a Joke Corner. Submissions are welcome and anyone with reviews, interviews, tips, puzzles or jokes who submit any that are accepted will be fully credited. Have a good week everyone and I hope you enjoy reading this!
Reviews Recommending Riveting Reads
Note: your story-game must have received a player rating of at least 4 for inclusion here.
This Week:
Suzy’s Strange Saga (a Modern Adventure by EndMaster)
Another terrific story-game from the site’s most prolific and consistently popular author this story is typical of the dark and detailed plots he creates. Better described as fourteen short stories in one this is that rare story-game where your choices really do affect your fate in dark and usually violent ways!
Death Becomes You (a Fantasy Adventure by krisspy451)
An interesting look at what happens after you die asking some intriguing questions of ourselves.
Research Question (a Edutainment by gregjrcoleman)
A detailed and intelligent review of research by a teacher for his students.
Since The Dawn of Time (2002):
Homo Perfectus 8 (a Sci-Fi Adventure by SindriV and playa988)
The most popular game on this site and also the final instalment of the site’s most popular series this is one great story. From the perfect use of pictures to the gripping and action-packed plot Homo Perfectus 8 perfectly balances the twin elements of game and story using an incredible amount of coding and detail. For all those who have ever dreamed of commanding your own team of superheroes and using superpowers in epic battles that feel like they really mean something this is the story-game for you!
Interviewing Interesting Individuals
EndMaster Speaks:
1: Why do you write choose your own stories?
Well it was either this or sell drugs, there really wasn't any middle ground.
Years ago I had a lot of down time in between classes which meant I was in the computer lab a lot. One day I was feeling nostalgic and started looking up the CYOA type books and stumbled upon websites related to the genre. Started reading through one and got annoyed by all the unfinished links so I started putting endings to all these unfinished stories. Then eventually I just started writing my own. It basically became an ongoing hobby I do in my spare time by circumstance.
2: What is your preferred writing method and style?
Sort of evolved over time. At one time I actually wrote out everything by hand on paper before typing it up, but eventually I started keeping it to the computer. I also used to write directly on whatever site I was writing on, but again in time I decided it was better if I made a copy for myself to make changes on and just transfer everything later.
The method I ultimately settled on was to plot a small outline of a story first and then make notes of important things as a I go along.
As for the actually story itself, I try to write an envisioned path from beginning to end first before going back to other ones or minor dead end branches. I just keep doing that until every path is finished.
3: Any plans for future stories?
There's always ideas, just don't have the time to do anything with them like I used to anymore.
I thought Eternal was going to be my last one since that was the "epic" I always wanted to do, but then shortly after it was finished I felt very compelled to do the Suzy story since it wrapped up all the rest of them. So who know?
Off the top of my head though, I'd sort of want to go back to my story Primal since it slightly bothers me that it isn't finished, but I think I'd end up scrapping most of what I wrote for it and completely redo most of it.
Other story ideas, would be Guardian, Inmate, Rogue, Malevolent, Sacrifice, Harem, Fairy Glamor and of course that Warrior Cat story. (A CYS exclusive naturally)
4: Who are your favourite authors or what are your favourite story games on this site?
I like Madglee's Mommy story a lot, along with BerkaZerka's Dead Man Walking and Dungeon Stompage.
I like DEP's stories too since he has a couple on here, but he's more well known on IS.
5: Do you have any advice for other writers?
None that hasn't really been given elsewhere. I figure everyone can find their own way. It's why I don't really bother with "How to" articles or even giving comments. It's all been said, and I can't really think of anything else that would really contribute in a positive way.
Occasionally I'll give advice or encouragement to someone when I think I see the potential there though or if someone asks me directly for advice. I suppose I prefer the more one on one approach to advice rather than just writing a list of rules for everyone.
6: How about some final thoughts?
No, I don't plan on dying yet.
Writer’s Tips
In the future I hope to receive submissions from talented authors, for now these are some basic rules I follow:
1) As a guideline the longer you work on something the better it is likely to be.
2) Think of your readers as you write, some things might fascinate you but how do you make it appeal to other people?
3) Please use a spellchecker.
4) Reward logical thought and punish stupidity. Don’t have a left or right option (or equivalent) in which one choice leads to death as this makes the story-game frustratingly random.
5) Don’t ask for positive reviews because it’s your first story, it‘s like saying “I‘ve never juggled before so cheer me on crowd of strangers!“. Some authors first stories are featured or are among the most popular on the site (Farewell my childhood self is a good example).
Puzzle of the Week
This is a well-known puzzle by Albert Einstein which challenged logical thinking and allegedly only 2% of the population are capable of solving it (when I tried it I’ll admit I gave up after an hour). This version of the puzzle was taken from the website brain-fun:
There are 5 houses each with a different colour. Their owners, each with a unique heritage, drinks a certain type of beverage, smokes a certain brand of cigarette, and keeps a certain variety of pet. None of the owners have the same variety of pet, smoke the same brand of cigarette or drink the same beverage.
Clues:
1: The Brit lives in the red house.
2: The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3: The Dane drinks tea.
4: Looking from in front, the green house is just to the left of the white house.
5: The green house's owner drinks coffee.
6: The person who smokes Pall Malls raises birds.
7: The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8: The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
9: The Norwegian lives in the leftmost house.
10: The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11: The man who keeps a horse lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12: The owner who smokes Bluemasters also drinks beer.
13: The German smokes Prince.
14: The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15: The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.
Question: Who owns the pet fish?
Joke Corner
1) A man is sitting at a table next to a can of beer when a tough guy swaggers up to him, snatches his beer can and goes to drink it.
"I should warn you I’ve been putting my cigarette butts in there,” the first guy says.
The second guy gives him a long appraising look.
“Tough,” he declares and swallows it down.
2) What do you call a horse that is only ridden after dark?
A nightmare.
3) An Englishman, an Irishman, a Scotsman and a Welshman are sitting in a car on their way back from a drinking competition. Who is driving?
The policeman.
PLEASE READ AGAIN NEXT FRIDAY FOR MORE REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, TIPS, PUZZLES AND JOKES!
