This Is Not A Storygame

Well...after finishing this, the main thing I can say is that: this is not a storygame.

Really interesting idea, I have to say. The initial brief part about the explorer didn't really seem to fit as well with the rest of the narration, to be honest. The page about Peter and wanting everyone to be exactly like him, with no freedom of choice and no ability to like different things to him, was a really good exploration of free will, and what the world might be like if everyone was the same. And, of course, everyone disappeared at the end and only left Peter behind. Why wouldn't they? If only one person matters, everyone else might as well just disappear.

That went a little more philosophical than I intended.

I found the page about the river and the map to be pretty interesting, but I would argue that just because someone else has explored the same path before doesn't mean that you have. Take this storygame, for instance. You can read reviews. You can even read a summary of it. But is reading someone else's experience the same as experiencing it for yourself? I would argue not. The path in front of me might be well-trodden, but if it's not been trod on by me, why shouldn't I go down and experience it for myself?

If every choice is already written, do our actions really matter at all? But then, doing nothing is also a choice, and consider...if certain people never ran for power, how different might the world be now?

This has turned more into a philosophical rant than anything else, but I think it's good, as it means this has left me with deeper thoughts than I normally get from reading things. And to anyone reading this review who hasn't read the not-a-storygame yet...what are you waiting for? Read it and make your own mind up.

Hmm interesting. This is, of course, not a story game. In face, when I was picking a rating I was half convinced it was a choice you set up to look like the rating page—that would be interesting. I’m not sure if you can exactly recreate it, but it would be funny to leave commentary on even the rating someone chooses for you by having a false rating page…

Anyway some tips and thoughts on the story are here. A lot of spoilers, although there isn’t much mystery here:

I actually like this premise. It’s a really cool meta idea with the false end game links. We are so used to that actually ending the game that seeing it continue afterwards really was interesting just as a concept. I think there is more that can be done with this, perhaps in an actual story game.

Not to be too obvious… but there was no branching and it was very linear. You could make one choice and see one different page (A or B). This was the whole point and this read like a rant about hating choose your own adventure stories… which is an interesting opinion for this website for obvious reasons.

The writing was solid enough. Some repetitiveness, but no glaring issues that make it hard to read. I’d say the grammar was pretty good in that respect. It’s been awhile but I didn’t notice any mistakes. I also don’t recall the grammar really changing the experience in a positive way: it was simply fine.

Actually, I thought some of the little stories were interesting enough. Almost like you could have made a game where you chose what story to continue reading or could skip to the next story if uninterested… of course, none of the stories were there to be continued… just to be a part of this rant.

Now to respond to your opinions, I think the choices matter. Even if you are traveling a preset path, you still get to choose more than you do in a linear story! It makes things fun and interesting and provides more content because you can explore alternate paths. A normal book doesn’t even give the illusion of choice, so a choose your own adventure can feel empowering. I also like to imagine different scenarios anyway and this gives multiple built in! I don’t care that a river is preset because I’m not trying to dig a trench and make my own canal… I’m trying to relax and canoe on a preexisting river. This is what reading a choose your own adventure story is to me.

As a writer it really helps improve you because the world building has to be solid to write several paths that are logical and follow the same plot and timeline while making sense. That’s why I like writing them. You really have to know characters well to think about how they will react to two different choices that could be made… rather than a linear story where you only have to solve one of those decisions. The other choices simply fade into the on-site and you can write the one path that comes naturally to you as an author. When you have to write two choices usually (for me anyway) one path is easy and the other requires a lot of thought. For me, this is interesting and really improved my world building, character building, and writing in general.

We know that we can’t make ANY choice in one of these games… but that’s what the real world is for. We also can’t fly, travel through space, speak with elves or dwarfs pr do any of that. What we can do is enjoy the path we are on and let the author take us down one leg of the river… if we like it we can go back and try another. If not, we can find a different river. Either way, this is about having fun and providing feedback. You should try it! Honestly you seem to be a good writer who hates choose your adventure stories… not sure why but maybe something here will change your mind

-Read a story

-Close the browser in rage because someone disagreed with me

This was unique and I appreciate the effort to get people thinking about these things, but, you're right, it is definitely not a storygame lol. Given that and the length, I think a 4/8 is really about the limit even though I enjoyed reading this whatever it is.

All the claims about choice were made in such a way as to make people want to refute them, so, I'll bite:

Whether we're limiting this just to writing, or some greater implied philosophical question, whether there's a "real" choice or not may be besides the point, as long as the individuals experiencing it all still have felt like a part of something special that matters to them.


And of course the cynicism present in the narrative voice here is just not a factor with a creator putting a true labor of love on display. That's more of an excited, "hey guys, check out this cool thing I just made!" kind of feeling, for something you've handcrafted for someone to else to explore in hopes that they'll love it the way you love it and find something meaningful in the experience you spread out for them. You as the author are a home cook serving a meal to your guests, or a parent building a playhouse for your child.

I'd also point out that everyone DOESN'T experience the things you've written exactly the same. The words are the seeds of the images that spring up in their mind, and everyone gets something different out of the experience and puts some different emphasis on one part or another. Ask anyone to give their thoughts on a book, movie, anything--and unless they've already gone and internalized analysis from somewhere else, they'll all have something different to say about what the experience was, and how.

The author cannot control a reader's feelings or reactions, they're trying as hard as they can to communicate how they themselves feel--distilling complex thoughts to words or images is a pretty intimate and personal act, there's just nothing else like it for transporting an image that's in your mind to someone else's. And there's nothing certain about the results there, it's not a science; that's why the products of these attempts are usually categorized as *arts*.

So cool! It's a good concept!

4

I can always appreciate genuine creativity. A great concept and good execution.

I love this

A “storygame” reflecting on the nature of choice itself has its place, but authors of course want to have readers reflecting on those sorts of questions along with an “actual storygame.” I was bound to click the end link, but I also thought of another way to break the meta-narrative.

I clicked “Quit” and it got me out of the game without relying on the “End Game and Leave Comments.” It made me reflect on a sort of parallel between what I had done and someone committing suicide. The idea of suicide is to make a choice in the face of hopeless linearity by recklessly ending your “experience” in the story, or lack thereof. If you decide to end the experience before it ends properly, you’ll miss out on some wonderful moments you might otherwise enjoy. You may not see life rich with bounty in the moment, but be patient and it will arrive in God’s perfect timing. The pain you face in the moment will not compare to the joy you’ll have later.

One could say that playing this game made me think of suicide. Well…

funny

An entertaining diversionary exercise with a poem and everything!