Complex interactive stories and making a visual novel

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Complex interactive stories and making a visual novel

Postby porky11 » Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:37 am

Some time ago I created a program to create complex interactive stories. The main reason, I did this was, that I want to create a visual novel. But it is also usable for interactive stories and also can allow readers to extend them.
I'll explain the difference between my program and some common approach to model stories.
If you want to know about it in more detail, have a look at https://gitlab.com/porky11/simple-petri-net
If you are not interested, but want to help me for creating a visual novel, read the next post.

The approach used by most stories here is the following:
* The story is a set of chapters
* Every chapter ends with a decision, which selects the next chapter

This method only allows stories with a single story line.
It also does not allow to save some previous decision.
Cycles are useless.

Why would you want to have multiple story lines?
* You have multiple characters and you want to decide the actions of both (for example you control the actions of a pred and a prey, even if they are seperated)
* You have a single character, but want to be able to do some actions in arbitrary order
* You can split yourself into multiple personalities (after two preds eat you, you can control both of them partially)

Why would you save previous decisions?
* You decide the race/sex of your character, but many scenes should not depend on the race/sex
* You take some decision, that has no consequences (at least both decisions may lead to the same chapter), but after that chapter, the decision should have consequences again (or at least other people should be able to use this information when extending the story) (for example, you meet a predator, but when you stay alive, it doesn't matter, if you persuaded him or killed him. Then the story goes on. And maybe a few decisions later, if you persuaded him, he will help you, or if you killed him, his friends will eat you)

Why can cycles useful?
* Being able to take multiple decisions after the same scene, but still have consequences (for example, first you can decide to cuddle him, to eat him, or to let him go. If you decide to cuddle him, he will still be there, so the decisons won't disappar. But if you cuddled him, before you let him go, this may have consequences, like he could come back)
* Going from place to place can be modelled as linear story with alternatives, where some decisions lead back to some place, you were before. When the progress of some parallel story lines will be saved, it's possible to do different things at the same place, while being able to decide yourself, to which place to go

My way to model stories allows all of these.
You don't define decisions at the end of a chapter.
Instead a scene is connected with a decision.

So your chapter won't look like this:
Code: Select all
Chapter 1:

You are not sure, what you should do with him
Decision 1: You eat him -> Chapter 2
Decision 2: You let him go -> Chapter 3

Chapter 2:
Since you aren't hungry anymore, you can go on


Chapter 3:
He is happy and immediately runs away



Instead they'll look like this:
Code: Select all
Scene 1:

You are not sure, what you should do with him

Scene 2:
Decision: You eat him
Since you aren't hungry anymore, you can go on


Scene 3:
Decision: You let him go
He is happy and immediately runs away



Additionally you have to tell, how the scenes are connected:
Code: Select all
2|3: 1


This means, one of the scenes 2 and 3 follow after 1.
You could also write this:
Code: Select all
2&3: 1


This means, that as well 2 and 3 will follow after 1, and you can decide, which of these scenes you want to read first. Theoreitcally it would even be possible to read both scenes at the same time or switch scenes while reading.
In this case, it would not make sence, that both decisions will happen, but there are other decisions, where this really may be useful.
It's even possible to model very complex story hierarchies using this modelling language.
It is documented here: https://gitlab.com/porky11/simple-petri ... anguage.md

The next post will be about the visual novel, I want to create.
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Re: Complex interactive stories and making a visual novel

Postby porky11 » Sat Jun 16, 2018 12:10 pm

As told before, I'd like to make a visual novel.
It would be cool to find people to help me for this.

It should have following properties:
* It should not be focused on vore or sex
* Everything, even the most brutal ideas and weirdest fetishes should be contained (also vore)
* It should play in a futuristic fantasy world, which should be as realistic as possible
* The focus should be normal interactions to make the story interesting and allows the reader to sympathize with the persons
* There should be three main goals, so you have an orientation, where the story will go, and not just do one scene after the other, and then get bored:
- Find a good friend (maybe sex partner or even some kind of vore partner)
- Find a Duty (or Job)
- Complete some Mission to help many people (save the world, save the princess, kill some enemy, or something)
* These things may be completed in the end, if you choose wisely, but you may also be able to find better routes.
* There should also be weird decisions, which you would normally never do in real live, especially in normal situations, which can lead to fast ends or interesting side stories
* So a normal story with normal actions under unnormal circumstances

If you would like to discuss it or just help me somehow, I'd like to write with you.

I hope, the people on a site like this don't have problems with other uncommon fetishes (for example shota/loli, furry, guro).
I would assume, most people in one of these groups don't like vore or content of the other groups, but who likes vore also often likes the other things.

So what will have to be done for the visual novel?
* Think about characters
* Think about some story as orientation
* Design an interactive story around it
* Add special forks for special decisions
* Write the story down
* Draw or render characters and backgrounds
* Optionally translate the story
* Optionally add special kinds of decisions to the engine (win a fight/minigame/quiz, decide depending on the score of one of these)

If someone is interested, we could also try to make a more detailled plan and even monetize it.
Or we just talk about it, you try to motivate me, tell me, what you would like in there, and then I'll show you the progress.
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Re: Complex interactive stories and making a visual novel

Postby SolarMarkoff » Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:10 am

Hello porky11!

So, I've read your post and I have to say your ideas are very interesting.
I also love the idea of the visual novel and tried to make one, although it's incredibly simple.
I've posted it here not too long ago. It's called "The Apartment"

What you propose here is INSANELY hard. And it will take a HUGE amount of time to complete.
The sheer number of choices would be massive and the writing necessary would be absurd.
BUT your ambition is admirable, and considering how clear you've made your ideas I think you deserve a shot!

I've always loved challenges!

So If you'd like, you can write me and tell me more about your ideas, and I'll see if I can help you to make this a reality.
I make 3d renders, so if you need any human character of any age I can help you!
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Re: Complex interactive stories and making a visual novel

Postby OERN » Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:34 am

I'm probably nowhere near as well versed in the technical aspects of things as you porky, but why did you elect to make your own text adventure language and program instead of something like Twine or Quest? There's something to be said for having absolute control over the capabilities of what you're using I suppose but it seems like a lot of extra effort when there are alternatives that already allow you to have non-linear text adventures.
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