Games by JimD Newsletter #42 – Project Updates, Scripted Deaths

Welcome to my 42nd newsletter! This has been a fast-paced month with lots of writing and editing. I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and am going for my second dose tomorrow. I’m extremely happy that I was able to get vaccinated as I am at risk for a severe form of COVID if I were to get infected. It’s also a very surreal experience to be receiving a vaccine to keep me safe during a viral outbreak. When I first started Zombie Exodus ten years ago, I never thought words like pandemic and outbreak and virus would be part of my real-life daily vocabulary. My writing takes on a new meaning when I consider what we are all going through in the real world.

But people read my games for escape, and that’s part of why I write. So in this newsletter, I will provide an update on my titles in development, discuss my schedule going forward, and talk about the much debated concept of scripted deaths and acceptance of new members into the MC’s group.

Let’s get started.

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 3

Part 3 is currently at 457,368 words! That’s already 20,000 words from where I was a month ago as reported in my previous newsletter. I should be able to add an additional 3000 words before the release of my next monthly beta update for my Patreon supporters.

At this point in the game, I am still finishing up the main story and am halfway through chapter 12. I finished the attack on the Junkyard, which now constitutes two paths: one in which the Junkyard’s defenses hold up and one in which intruders enter the yard. I’m also coding the introduction of new characters based on Patreon polls. If you are following those poles, you may even know who those new characters are. This leads to another topic which I will discuss later in this newsletter — scripted changes to characters.

My plan still is to finish the main story for Part 3 in April, create all of the additional content I have skipped in earlier chapters, such as RO encounters and conversations with characters. I will release that content to my Patreon beta testers in May. As soon as that is done, the files will go to Hosted Games for copyediting. I still have no idea how long it will take to publish Part 3, but it will be in the summer. Hosted Games wants to shoot for a June release, but it’s hard to say if that will happen. Even the most popular games in HG are in the publishing queue for 2 to 3 months. I will keep you posted on anything I find out.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Out for Blood

Out for Blood has a current word count of 430,000. Most of this month has been spent playtesting and editing. I’ve added a few new scenes based on specific storylines throughout the game. For example, I added an extra opportunity to hunt a vampire on your own. That scene alone is over 2000 words and affects a considerable amount of content going forward. If you are successful in destroying that vampire, the impact is felt until the end of the game. If you are considering writing choice-based games, always consider the impact of choices you write. Consider how one change can have a butterfly effect on other events afterwards. This is what changes a game from being linear to dynamic, and this is why people enjoy my games. You feel like you have control over the story, which is why you would read these stories to begin with. This idea rolls very nicely into the next topic – scripted events that occur without your choice.

Scripted Changes to Characters

When I talk about scripted changes to characters, I’m discussing when a character enters or leaves the main group outside of the player’s control. In other words, the player is not given a choice that affects whether a character lives, dies, leaves the group, or joins the group. As I’ve stated, one of the main reasons people choose to play my games or any type of interactive fiction is to control the story. However, this control of the story comes with a price. Often, such choices require more writing and coding, more variables and combinations of outcomes. Some writers kill off characters to simplify the game or provide room for new characters. Some do it to add dramatic impact on the game, such as when (spoiler alert for the original Zombie Exodus) Uncle Lou died. In some cases a scripted death may occur as a result of reward for a contest (as in the case of Nathan and Sifer). For whatever reason, it is often met with some resistance from players. This is understandable as they want the most control of the story as possible.

Some scripted events related to characters will occur in Part 3. However if you have read any of the Part 3 beta, you will know that there are several scripted events that have raised some concern from the player base. One event affects a popular character, which has raised the most negative feedback. My intention was to make a change to simplify some of the game so I can add more characters that can take focus for a while. I’m happy to report I’m highly considering changing this event to provide more control from the player. The benefit of beta testing is to receive feedback. The vast majority of that feedback told me to rethink that scripted event. There will still be a major impact on the game, but it will be more within the control of the player. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but I will be happy to write more specifics about this after Part 3’s release. I did not give into negative pressure. Rather, some of the well-written feedback suggested the scripted events had unfair elements.

One of the things I really enjoy about a community of players interested in my work is that I can receive valuable feedback during the development process. If a change like this occurred and I received no reaction until publication, it would be much harder to change and may even create more negative feedback.

Scripted deaths are not the only worrisome element of a choice game. When I introduce new characters, I have the same dilemma. Do I give the player a choice in whether or not the main group accepts those new characters? If so, those are variable characters, and I constantly have to check whether or not they are a part of the group. This is cumbersome and slows down development. It also makes the game more dynamic. That’s where you can see how a simple game mechanic can have far-reaching impact on my games.

That’s all for this month. Until next time, stay safe and thank you for all of your support!