Games by JimD Newsletter – Game News, Progress, Q&A

Let’s face it, if you’re signed up for this newsletter, you want to know the progress of my games. So, this newsletter will share progress on my three in-development games, as well as provide answers to some questions from my readers.

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven

Part 2 is actually further along than planned, thanks to my Patreon members for holding me to my deadlines and for Ethan Underhill for contributing several key scenes. My plan is to code the last mission, a huge scene that is an ode to the Pharmacy Run in the original Zombie Exodus. This mission is larger than ZE’s popular Fuel Run, and this Safe Haven mission has huge impact on the ZE Universe. I am excited to show it off to my patrons and beta testers in September (or maybe October).

My hope is to send in Part 2-2 to CoG in November. No promises though, so no hate mail please if there are delays.

Vampire Fiction

Since this game isn’t out yet, it’s hard to gauge interest from my readers. Once it’s out, I have a feeling it will bring in a new wave of readers for ZE, and my fans will enjoy a spin on the classic vampire story.

So far, roughly 30,000 words are coded—Episode 1 and half of Episode 2. I have submitted references and descriptions of image content to my art director (yes, FableLabs has an art department), and artwork should be ready in September. My hope is to release the “Pilot” consisting of Episodes 1-3 by Halloween at the end of October.

Zombie Exodus: Dead Zone

I am developing this game with Ethan Underhill, who is taking the lead with writing the story. Ethan finished the prologue this month and has submitted new mechanics for coding, such as new weapons and armor. My plan is to start coding it all in October.

Q&A

What inspired you to make interactive novels?

I grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books and always enjoyed table top roleplaying games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. When I learned of Choice of Games and their publishing platform, I jumped right in to developing my first game.

What made you choose apocalyptic fiction for your genre?

I have always been interested in zombies, apocalyptic themes, and dystopian worlds, mostly due to the lack of societal rules and the pressure to survive. I always wonder how I would survive a breakdown of civilization. The loss of basic services and the safety of society make for a heightened conflict, which is perfect for interactive stories.

What qualities do you believe makes the most ideal safe haven?

Somewhere not easily accessible by foot traffic, off the beaten path, and secluded. It must be near a water source, have suitable space for growing food, and have natural obstacles like mountains which limit exposure.

What ethnicity are Woody and Jaime?

Whatever the player imagines. I purposefully left out race and ethnicity so players can develop their own concepts for NPCs.

You seem to enjoy collaborating with other authors. Do you generally find that "two heads are better than one" or is it tougher going (differences of opinion, pulling in different directions, whatever) but worth it for the end result?

I find that coding games can be a limiting factor for many writers, and part of my interest in collaborating is to help others get their stories told. I also enjoy exploring creative ideas with other writers, from developing unique characters to creating whole stories. For example, working with Mia (who contributed to Safe Haven Part 2) provided me with opportunities to learn more about writing female characters and younger characters.

Working with collaborators also holds me to a schedule. My work affects another person. If I miss a deadline, I am not only disappointing my readers but now a fellow writer.

Sometimes it is challenging to work with others, for those reasons you mentioned. As with any partnership, it requires communication and compromise. The benefits outweigh the challenges.

Will you be including/mentioning present day issues i.e. racial tensions or racial groups?

Racial tension is not something I want to bring into ZE, not to gloss over real-life issues but to provide a story for readers to escape from such issues for a little while. Literature can be a great mechanism to explore social issues, but writers have to decide on what they hope to achieve with their work. Is it to change someone’s moral outlook? Is it to purely entertain? Is it biting satire on political views? Maybe all of the above?

ZE is focused on providing a rather light-hearted, entertaining story. While I delve into heavier topics and try to add realistic elements, I am not trying to add my own agenda into the writing nor judge any of my readers for their views. People read my stories to escape. As I often say, I am not telling MY story; rather, I am helping my readers to build THEIR story.