Bay 12 Games Forum

Finally... => Creative Projects => Topic started by: Sappho on August 03, 2013, 06:41:51 am

Title: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 03, 2013, 06:41:51 am
I'm working on a StoryNexus game based on DF. Others have talked about trying it before, but I just sort of went ahead and did it. Progress is slow while I learn the system, but it should speed up. Right now I want to do it all myself, as I have a very clear idea of how I want it to work for now, but once I've implemented everything important, I'll probably invite a couple of others to help me develop it.

Riddlerocks (http://riddlerocks.storynexus.com/s)

Right now you can't do very much. I have completed character creation. You can enter a few different areas and perform a few simple tasks to increase your skills. You can also come down with a particular affliction, and there is a way to reduce it. So far it doesn't do anything, but it certainly will in the future.

I will keep adding content pretty regularly, and I'll announce on here when it's ready. For now I really need some playtesters to go through and check it for functionality. If anyone finds any spelling/grammar/continuity errors or other mistakes, please let me know.

Eventually I might make this game for-profit. This would be a long ways down the road, but it's a possibility. If that ever happens, however, I will pledge to donate a large percentage to Toady each month, since the ideas generally come from his game. (I'll make sure to get permission from him first if I ever decide to do that.)

So go, try it out, leave feedback here! Thanks!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 03, 2013, 09:30:36 am
This post will contain a list of updates as they are ready.

Spoiler: August 2013 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: September 2013 (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 03, 2013, 10:05:56 am
Looks interesting. Spent a load of actions only to get some kind of bug (Here's a screenshot (http://i.imgur.com/GTuHHuF.jpg)). Any idea how to get around it?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 03, 2013, 10:13:31 am
Hm... Never seen anything like that. Did you try reloading the page, or logging out and back in? What were you doing when it happened?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 03, 2013, 11:19:43 am
I've tried reloading, clearing cache, and logging in and out. I can't remember exactly what I clicked, but it was a normal part of the interface.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 03, 2013, 03:35:10 pm
Same thing for me, after trying "go to the psychologist". It just showed me a lot of code-like text (no webpage, just pure text), and now it's stuck loading!

Unfortunately, it was only my second action, but at least I found a room previously, even though I had only 60% chance of getting it! :)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 03, 2013, 04:01:07 pm
OK, I'll have a look at the psychologist and try to figure out what's wrong. If you send me your character names I can reset you. If I don't figure out what the problem is, I'll contact StoryNexus support, might be something wrong on their end.

EDIT: Okay, yup, it just happened to me too. I don't see anything unusual in the storylet so I'll send a message to support and hope they can fix it or tell me what I did wrong. For now, please send me your character names, I'll re-set you to the start of the game, and avoid the psychologist card until it's fixed.

EDIT2: GAH, I can't even reset it. There's something totally broken in the system. We'll just have to wait until I get a response from support. Sorry about this, guys. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 03, 2013, 04:05:13 pm
I've the same name in game as on here.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 03, 2013, 04:15:25 pm
OK, so I can't fix this even by resetting all the characters, so something must be really broken. I've sent the support people an email explaining the situation. I think they're generally pretty helpful and friendly, so hopefully it will be sorted out soon. Unfortunately I am not able to reset anyone's characters - I can't even reset my own character to test the game. Something is just totally messed up. So we'll just have to be patient for now.

What would be really helpful would be if someone can go into the game with a new character, do NOT click on the psychologist card, and see if any of the other cards cause the crash. There are cards in the workshop area, Production Order cards, which are similar in structure to the psych card. If someone could just try those and see if they work ok, it would help a lot.

Thanks guys. Apologies again for the crash. I'll let everyone know when it's working again.

EDIT: It will also be helpful if you can tell me what browsers and versions you are using. The automated support email requests this information in addition to what I sent. Also, if you can tell me approximately what time it happened and what time zone you're in, they also ask for that. Thanks again for the help!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 03, 2013, 07:22:00 pm
I'm GMT +0:00, using Chrome Version 28.0.1500.95 m, username Anvilfolk, and it happened exactly when I posted it :)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 03, 2013, 07:55:37 pm
It happened around 4pm GTM and I'm using Firefox 22.0.

Oh and I'm almost certain it was the psychologists card that caused this for me too.

For whatever reason it just seemed to load correctly. Gave me a big play button to click, but this took me back to the screen filled with text and now it's giving me the "Loading..." screen.

Spoiler: contents of the text filled screen (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 04, 2013, 03:47:37 am
Yup, I've got the same string of code and "loading" bug. I've sent the extra information to the support address, thanks. Still no response from them but I suppose they might not work on the weekends. Which is a huge bummer because I was planning on spending most of the weekend adding content. I'm certainly not going to work on it when I don't know what's wrong or what they'll have to do to fix it, and anyway I can't test it before releasing it.

This is really pretty frustrating. I'm proud of the bit of progress I've made so far and was really motivated to add more. I hope they fix it soon. I suppose for now I will just type out some notes in a word doc that I can copy and paste into the game creator once it's working again, since writing the descriptions is what takes most of the time.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 04, 2013, 04:05:21 am
AHA! I have discovered the problem, and it is VERY embarrassing. In the manual for the editor it states very clearly that the game engine is very sensitive to formatting tags (html ones like em for italics) and if you forget to close them, it can cause crazy problems.

Well... I seem to have forgotten to close a tag. I just fixed it, and the game seems to be working fine. Lesson learned! The game is working fine now! Everyone feel free to log back in and continue to play, and I'll get back to adding more content.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 04, 2013, 06:56:33 am
Glad to see it fixed.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 04, 2013, 09:33:22 am
Just finished the psychologist visit, and got:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So there's a typo at the end!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 04, 2013, 09:47:05 am
Hm... that's not a typo, it's a missing variable. Do me a favor and check your "more" tab and tell me everything listed under "circumstance."

EDIT: Actually, I just found the problem. I forgot to add the variable to something. I assume you are male? I'll fix it for you with my GODLIKE POWERS.

Is anyone else missing their facial hair attribute? Let me know if so and I'll fix it. Anyone creating a character now will get their facial hair set properly.

Also, I've added 2 new cards. One is outside, always accessible. The other is in the possibilities deck and can be drawn anywhere. More coming soon!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 04, 2013, 11:30:49 am
Just tested it, and it's fixed! :)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 04, 2013, 12:04:38 pm
Quote from: Anvilfolk on August 04, 2013, 11:30:49 am
Just tested it, and it's fixed! :)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

They don't call 'em GODLIKE POWERS for nuthin' you know. ; )

(http://i43.tinypic.com/24wsvw4.gif)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 04, 2013, 12:42:29 pm
Heheheheh :)

Also, there really needs to be a way to reduce injuries... those kobolds, man! Those kobolds!!!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 04, 2013, 01:21:38 pm
Haha, yeah, I meant to implement that today but didn't get around to it and I'm a bit too tired now. I'll try to add more tomorrow. For now, the injuries don't actually do anything, but eventually they will.

EDIT: Ah, what the hell, just threw in something quick for now. In the residential area you can now rest in your room, with a good chance of healing injuries. Later I'll make it more complicated.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: professorlamp on August 04, 2013, 05:20:55 pm
Small bug.

Some of the cards require that you are at the workshop but you can still click on them and do the task regardless of where you are.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 04, 2013, 11:55:21 pm
Quote from: professorlamp on August 04, 2013, 05:20:55 pm
Small bug.

Some of the cards require that you are at the workshop but you can still click on them and do the task regardless of where you are.


Yes, that's not really a bug so much as I don't know how to restrict use of a card by area. You can only draw these cards in the workshops, but once they're in your hand, they stay there if you move. I'll keep looking at that and see if I can change it.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Evilsx on August 09, 2013, 02:57:06 am
Time to hope into this :)

Edit: Best for luck Sappho
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: sjm9876 on August 09, 2013, 03:07:13 am
Oooh, this looks interesting :D
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 09, 2013, 04:51:05 am
Well, I'm glad someone else is interested in StoryNexus. You'd think this sort of tool/platform would interest everyone, but noooo. Still hoping to get a Bay12-created game going (not necessarily DF, but by the forums).

Looks very promising thus far. Strangely enough I succeeded in even the most difficult tests but that's probably just luck.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 09, 2013, 05:05:45 am
Probably luck, yes. Enjoy it while it lasts. : )

Sorry I haven't udpated this week. Been a stressful final week at this job and on Tuesday I started getting stomach pain which it now seems is an ulcer. I have to go to the doctor first thing tomorrow morning to get some treatment, but until the pain stops I probably won't have much focus for things like writing Riddlerocks. Soon, though! I have so many ideas!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 09, 2013, 06:33:22 am
Aw man, good luck with that ulcer. That sounds pretty nasty. Get better soon, and I'm looking forward to seeing this evolve :)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: sjm9876 on August 09, 2013, 12:39:56 pm
Quote from: Digital Hellhound on August 09, 2013, 04:51:05 am
Well, I'm glad someone else is interested in StoryNexus. You'd think this sort of tool/platform would interest everyone, but noooo. Still hoping to get a Bay12-created game going (not necessarily DF, but by the forums).
I'd be willing to help make a Bay12 game, although I haven't really done much with storynexus yet. just enough to get a basic grip of things.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 11, 2013, 12:54:29 pm
Alrighty, I've added 3 new cards: one in the administrative area, one outside, and one in the random deck.

I'm getting ready to add in the consequences of getting your injuries or troublemaker too high (I'll also add some way to reduce troublemaker), but I need to figure out the best way to do it first. I've asked in the forum there about the area-specific cards being usable in other areas but no one has responded yet.

Please feel free to try out the new cards and of course let me know if you find any problems.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 11, 2013, 06:44:59 pm
Is there a hammerer in the near future? I guess that could turn troublemaker into injuries.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 12, 2013, 02:05:20 am
There will be a punishment system. And ways to try to reduce your punishment. Just have to figure out the right way to do it, as I said. Have to make sure the player can't take cards in their hand to the new place and whatnot.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Facekillz058 on August 15, 2013, 01:30:31 pm
This is an interesting concept, I just started now, I'll let you guys know what happens.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 16, 2013, 03:42:26 am
FYI everyone, my mother is visiting me from America right now and apparently she does not intend to leave my side for the entirety of her stay. The only moments of peace I get are when she sleeps late (now - but I have to be quiet and be prepared for the verbal assault when she realizes how late I let her sleep), and when one of us showers. Seriously, even when I'm using the toilet she keeps talking to me through the door.

So the short version of that is, I probably won't be able to work on Riddlerocks until she's gone (next Wednesday). I'm still holding on to the hope that maybe she'll go to some kind of touristy crap on her own for an afternoon and leave me alone to work, but it doesn't seem likely.

Any thoughts, prayers, and positive vibes you can send me to get through this will be greatly appreciated. Also cash, if you have some lying around.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 17, 2013, 08:41:22 am
I take it you emigrated to get away from that then? ;)

Mothers do have a way of just... being present. And forcefully present somehow. Also can't wait to go back to my own apartment/life.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 17, 2013, 04:44:16 pm
Quote from: Anvilfolk on August 17, 2013, 08:41:22 am
I take it you emigrated to get away from that then? ;)

Mothers do have a way of just... being present. And forcefully present somehow. Also can't wait to go back to my own apartment/life.

I did indeed. One of my many reasons for moving here was to get away from her, specifically. Other family members are ok, but her... She was terribly abusive when I was a child and now she has a curious sort of neurotic amnesia where she's persuaded herself that all that never happened, and her children are conspiring against her to make her seem like a bad mother. She says "that's the way you all CHOOSE to remember it!" as though we're all under some sort of collective delusion.

I had a very eventful day/evening today and now i'm quite drunk so I should probably move AWAY from the internet. Will update Riddlerocks as soon as possible!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 22, 2013, 10:50:30 am
Ouch... hopefully she's gone home by now! Are things better, and Riddlerocks progressing?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 22, 2013, 01:07:10 pm
She left yesterday. I've been running around trying to clean up her mess (she's such a slob, it's a miracle I didn't turn out one as well) but one of my main goals for tomorrow is to finally add some new content to Riddlerocks.

I will probably also start locking up the game to general users, since there's not much to do yet and it won't be helpful to have loads of people running around playing with things until I'm more ready. But never fear! I will grant each of you B12ers access immediately. When I'm ready to do so, I'll ask for your usernames (you can pm me if you prefer) and send you each an item that lets you access everything.

EDIT: A quick show of hands, if you please. I can't decide whether to include the economy in this game or not. I could easily implement coins and getting paid for jobs, and find things to spend those coins on. OR, I can continue as I have been: your rewards are less tangible, increases in skill and favors owed, and you have to unlock more content by raising your skills and exploring.

What would you guys prefer, and why? Ultimately I'll make my own decision, but I value the input of the dorfs who will be inhabiting Riddlerocks.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 23, 2013, 05:21:22 am
OK, dearest testers. I have added the Quarantine Zone for containment of non-testers of the early game. The next time you enter the game, you should be placed there. Please let me know if there are any obvious problems with it. Once you're ready to rejoin the fortress, please either post here or send me a PM with your username in the game, and I will unlock your testing privileges as quickly as possible.

Testers will later get some kind of reward for all your help, when the game is ready to be unveiled to the public.

I have also fixed the problem with cards being usable outside the area they are meant for. This was a bit complicated, so PLEASE do test it out and let me know if you see any problems.

Thanks guys!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 23, 2013, 09:02:12 am
Quarantine seems to be working fine. Got a chuckle out of it too.

I'm Vattic in game.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 23, 2013, 10:32:20 am
Excellent! You should be able to leave the quarantine zone now. (Reload if you don't see the option.)

I've added a prison zone now as well. If you get your Troublemaker up to 10, you can test that out for me.

More to come soon!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 25, 2013, 12:35:25 pm
I've added the Intensive Care Ward area for when your injuries get up to 10. It's just the bare minimum at the moment, but I'll be adding to it either tonight or tomorrow. I'm trying to balance working on this game with working on a novel and a painting. Hooray for productive time off work!

I see that only Vattic is actually active at the moment. I hope I haven't scared others away with the lack of content. I am definitely still adding to it! I've got pages full of ideas in a notebook, just have to find the time to sit down and add it all.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 25, 2013, 01:17:59 pm
I'm currently trying to get enough injuries or troublemaker to see the new areas. Problem is my skills are just high enough to make the tasks nearly impossible to fail. Shouldn't have slept off my injuries from earlier.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with this.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 25, 2013, 01:21:23 pm
Yes, once I get all the basic stuff into place, I have some great ideas for some plots and storylines to implement. But first I have to go through the tedious process of adding each little job and each little possibility one at a time, to make the fortress an interesting place from the start.

If you want, I can reduce your skills, or even reset your character (aside from the quarantine thing). Actually, I plan to add an option in the game for the duration of testing for you to start over on your own, so my testers can keep working at the introductory stuff without getting locked out because their skills are too high. I'll try to do that before bed tonight... Let me know if you want me to set your attributes back to 5 so you can do stuff all over again.

EDIT: That was actually easier than I expected. You can now reset your character by selecting the reset option in your bedroom. Please test it out for me and make sure it works! Hopefully this will make future content testing easier.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 25, 2013, 04:49:23 pm
Reset and things already seem different. I now have a beard and I seem to have a room straight away, no need to go and claim one (think I remember doing that before).
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 25, 2013, 06:06:01 pm
Ha, actually, you are supposed to have to find one first. That was a bug, thanks for telling me! Fixed now. Finding a bedroom shouldn't be terribly difficult, but I meant it to be the first challenge, to show that you can't expect this game to work the same way as other games always seem to. I'll have to think about it, maybe do something more interesting with it as the first sort of "quest."
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on August 25, 2013, 07:10:59 pm
Really glad to see this going again :)

Reset me too. Should be Anvilfolk, as everywhere else. I need to visit this again :)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 25, 2013, 07:21:49 pm
Unless you are still in quarantine you can reset in your bedroom.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 26, 2013, 01:55:38 am
Anvilfolk, you will now be able to leave quarantine. Then if you want to reset, you can do it in your bedroom, as Vattic says.

I slept a grand total of about 3 hours last night for reasons that are not entirely clear to me, but I can't seem to sleep any more. So I guess I'll get to work. On the list for top priority work today are fleshing out the hospital, adding some way to reduce your Troublemaker (before you get sent to the cells), and then I will work on various tidbits like the residential area or maybe the workshops, depending on my mood.

By the way, if there are any requests for something you'd like to see sooner rather than later, feel free to let me know here. Certain things have to be done first, but I also want you testers to enjoy yourselves while you help me make my game.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 27, 2013, 06:31:23 am
Today I plan to finish up the Intensive Care Ward for the moment. I'm nearly done with that already. Then I will decide between expanding the workshops or the residential area (I have lots of plans for both). I'll update the changelog in the second post as I go.

A request for my testers: Please watch for slips of language. I'm trying to keep any direct references to DF out of there - no use of Armok, or of specifically-named mushrooms, for example (I'm using dwarf names though). I don't want to rip off Toady completely. Also, please watch out for the use of "man" instead of "dwarf" and similar things. I've already caught one of those and I'm sure I've slipped other times, or will do so in the future.

EDIT: I now consider the Intensive Care Ward to be complete for the time being. There are 6 "possibilities" cards. Please let me know if you encounter any problems with them.

Now I need to try to make my word count for my novel, then if I have time and energy after that I'll add some more to the game.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 27, 2013, 12:41:23 pm
Time for another reset so I can check out the new Intensive Care Ward stuff :). Either I was just lucky or with the current cards you can only just get injured enough before skilling up too far to fail (not a complaint mind you).
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on August 27, 2013, 01:59:32 pm
I think you probably got lucky - I managed it first try. Injuries accumulate quickly. You only have to fail 10 times to get in the hospital. (Try hunting big game outside, if you're having trouble.) However, there is definitely a lack of content so far. I had to create the prison and hospital areas to deal with those qualities getting too high before I created too many ways to get yourself hurt and in trouble. But soon, that will change. : )

Maybe I'll add a full "tester's card" with options for increasing and decreasing your attributes... Would take a while to get it all together, though. Maybe tomorrow.

I've made my word count for my novel today, so if I get any more bursts of inspiration it will go toward Riddlerocks. First, though, I need to drink some more of this wine. It is called "Medvědí Krev" which means "Bear's Blood." Seriously. It's actually pretty good.

(https://sphotos-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/p480x480/71417_563074053734357_1716165398_n.jpg)

Also it's really cheap.

For now, some administrative things. I've decided that once a set of conditions are met, I'm going to release the game as "Beta." This will mean changing its status on StoryNexus from "in progress" to "playable" and starting a thread for the game in the Other Games forum to attract more testers, as well as advertising the game elsewhere. I'll consider you guys "alpha testers" and you'll get a special perks package when we move on to that stage. My current requirements for beta are:

1. Prison and Hospital are fully implemented. (This is pretty much done already.) I might also include a similar area with "insanity" (touch of elfishness), but I haven't decided yet. That could maybe come later.
2. At least 6 of the 15 planned professions (such as crafter, pencil pusher...) must be implemented to a degree that there are at least 2 basic ways to improve them and at least 2 ways to use them via possibility cards.
3. There must be at least 6 area-specific possibility cards for each area (such as the workshop orders and guard duty).
4. There must be at least 9 RNG cards (these are the possibility cards that can be drawn anywhere, such as the kobold and tantruming dwarf).
5. There must be something interesting to do for all the 3 basic attributes up to at least level 15.

Once all that is set, I'll "release" the game, take a break from this basic stuff, and implement a couple of plots. I have some great ideas, too. Itching to bring them to life.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Vattic on August 31, 2013, 05:13:21 pm
Have enjoyed the Intensive Care Ward cards I've played. Not managed to fail them all. Got a chuckle out of most of them.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 01, 2013, 03:47:42 am
Great. I definitely want to keep the "losing is fun" feeling from DF, though of course I can't make players *really* lose or I'll lose all my players pretty quickly.

Thanks for continuing to test. Sorry I've been quiet the past few days. I made the terrible mistake of buying another Humble Bundle and I got sucked into playing Warlock for I don't want to think about how many hours. So today when I got up, the first thing I did was disconnect my gaming computer and hook up my writing computer (they both have American plugs and I only have one adapter, so I can't use both at once, fortunately). I'm not allowed to play more games until I catch up on my book (I'm about 6000 words behind) and make some serious progress on Riddlerocks. If I need a break, I can rewatch an episode of Black Books and paint/draw for a while, or, you know, go outside, but NO GAMES until I do my work.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on September 01, 2013, 08:15:12 am
You're making me want to play Warlock again...

I'm playtesting it again now.
- Moving to the workshops gives me a broken image next to "You have moved to the Riddlerocks workshop area.", same with the Administrative area.
- The "A Production Order: Stone Crafts" thing gives me 0% chance to succeed with 8 craftsdwarfship? :(

I then decided to reduce my injuries as much as possible and ran out of actions. Didn't want to walk around with 8x Injuries.... you never know, if this is DF inspired...... :)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 01, 2013, 09:06:53 am
The broken images are the fault of StoryNexus. Nothing I can do about them at the moment, unfortunately. They promise that eventually we'll be allowed to upload our own images, but for now we're stuck using what they give us, which is not much.

The production orders are not based on your craftsdwarfship skill, but your crafter skill. If you have no crafter skill, you cannot succeed at the production orders. You can build that up with the permanent cards in the workshop area.

Craftsdwarfship is a general ability with creative work. Crafter is a job, a specific skill. For each storylet (each situation on a card), I can only choose one trait to be rolled against for success. The three big attributes (craftsdwarfship, wits, and violence) are used in many situations, but I want there to be situations specific to the job skills as well, such as these production orders. There will be  many more options available as I add content to the game. Maybe I'll rename Crafter to Stonecrafter to prevent confusion, although I was hoping to include wood and bone crafting in the same category. I'll have to think about it.

If your injuries get up to 10, you'll be moved to the intensive care ward, where there is more material to play. You can't actually "lose" the game or die. Even the "penalty" areas have something interesting to do in them. I'm following the Fallen London model for that. It makes sense. If you punish players for taking risks, eventually they'll just get tired of it and quit. Everything in the game should have a purpose and an entertainment value.

Thanks for testing!
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 02, 2013, 07:02:32 am
Adding some more cards today and doing some background work to organize my notes and keep everything consistent. I've decided to add ranks to the guard forces. The first level will be Recruit - any of you who are members of the guard should now have this label. Doing guard work will slowly increase your rank. (I'll be implementing this change today on all the cards currently in-game.)

I need to decide on titles for the different ranks, however. I considered just using typical English/French military words (private, corporal, sergeant, etc.), but that seems so overused. I think the best thing would be to invent some kind of dwarven rank system, but it would have to be easily understandable. I'm open to suggestions here. Ideas?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on September 02, 2013, 07:32:45 am
Just prepend or append "Hammerer", or some such dwarven tool-related name, to those titles makes them sound fairly nifty, I think? My sense of written aesthetics is terrible ;)

Also, the Crafter and Craftsdwarfship thing is fairly confusing :( One is supposed to be a skill and the other profession? I don't recall seeing any obvious separation between the two, but I might just have missed it?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 02, 2013, 10:55:05 am
I renamed Crafter to Stonecrafter, so that should be less confusing now. Think of Craftsdwarfship as a general talent for being creative and crafty, something like artistic ability, whereas Stonecrafter is a specific, practical skill in crafting stone.

I added a new card to the Residential area today, so you can give that a try. I did a lot of other work as well but it was mostly organizational behind-the-scenes stuff. It might not be visible in the game but it will make it easier to add new things and keep it balanced from now on.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 28, 2013, 08:55:40 am
Good news, everyone! I'm finally settling in to my new job and organizing my time a bit better. Today I spent a few hours adding quite a bit of new material to the game. No, it is not abandoned! Riddlerocks shall carry on! For the glory of the mountainhomes!

I've added the "chef" and "doctor" jobs along with a few options for each. Check the workshops to get started with cheffery, then there are uses for it in the possibilities deck in the residential area. There's also a hospital in the residential area now, and a Chief Medical Dwarf's office in the administrative offices. Your Room contains more options now, but they will only be visible when you qualify for them (for now, this means either having at least 4 injuries, or having obtained the medical book from the CMD).

Please do me the kindness of playtesting these things.

Also, a rather specific request: I'm trying to convert all instances of the word "dwarven" to "dwarfish." If you see "dwarven" still written anywhere, please let me know so I can fix it.

Finally, there's getting to be enough material now that I need to start worrying about balance issues. If anything seems to easy or difficult or just out of whack in any way, please let me know and I'll do some tweaking.

Thank you, one and all, and please enjoy the new content!

EDIT: Continuing to work. I've touched up a few things (see the changelog in the second post for details) and am right now working on adding mining to the game have added mining to the game. This means a whole new area, the mines, with (soon) plenty to do there. First will be basic acquisition and leveling of the miner skill, and I'll add a few possibilities cards as well. I have BIG ideas for the mines, but I'm trying to force myself to get all the "basic" stuff done first. Gotta lay the groundwork, tedious though that may be.

As a teaser, here are my current near-future plans for the game:
-Discovery of new areas in the mines, including caves, which will be explorable for various rewards
-Ability to gain status in the fortress, via various means, and expand your quarters
-Political intrigue
-Catsplosion management

Longer-term goals include:
-Megaprojects which can be completed in various ways (I want to try to make this a community effort, will have to figure out a way to do that)
-Strange moods which require rare materials, which will be obtainable through rare successes in different jobs
-Sieges which can be broken in various ways

For big storylines, there will usually be more than one way to solve them. For example, you can fight through something, or use diplomacy.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on September 28, 2013, 11:28:58 am
I guess I've had the same problem with Fallen London, but how exactly is this supposed to be played? I mean, should we focus on a small skillset and level that a lot, or have lots of everything? I immediately imagine myself focusing on one profession, but perhaps that's not the best way to play these, since I'd miss so much content, I guess?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 28, 2013, 11:40:31 am
You play however you want. You can do everything, or just focus on one or two things. At the moment there's not that much content, so you'll have plenty of time to do everything while I get this up to "beta" status. There's certainly no "high level" content at the moment, so focusing on one skill and raising it really high won't do any good just yet. And even once there's loads of content, it will always be limited by how much time I have to write it all. So you're really only limited by how much time you play and how many things you want to do, and eventually by the total amount of content in the game.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 29, 2013, 04:19:07 am
I've added a few more cards in the mines today. Taking a lunch break now, then I'll get back to work. If I can keep up this rate, I might just release the game as "beta" a bit early at the end of the day, to get more playtesters (since there only seem to be 2 of you actually playing now). That will mean starting a thread in the "other games" forum.

Everyone who is testing right now will have the chance to get a bonus package as a thank-you once I move the game on to the next stage. So if you want in on that, please send me your character name soon so I can unlock the game for you and let you out of the quarantine area, so you can actually start playtesting.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on September 29, 2013, 08:59:00 am
Hadn't played in quite a while - laughed at seeing the elven option while chopping wood ;D

I'm still getting the same problem where one of the icons when you change locations looks broken. I think it's a problem on their side, according to what you said before!

Also, perhaps "violence" should be called "physical prowess" or somesuch. It feels weird that you use violence to chop down trees or mine.

I like that there's more stuff to do and more places to visit, but there doesn't seem to be much difference to chopping trees vs mining for stone blocks, for instance. They both increase violence, but they didn't seem to have particularly different effects?
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 29, 2013, 09:07:28 am
Chopping trees doesn't do much right now, but mining increases your miner skill, which you need for various other things. Right now the options are limited because I'm slowly adding content bit by bit. At the moment I'm just setting the base for everything - adding the skills and ways to increase them, and one or two ways to use each of them. Once I'm satisfied there's a suitable base, I'll move on to more interesting things. There will be plots, intrigue, and long-term goals, like in Fallen London.

As an example, one thing that will be added later will be large projects, like "strange moods" and megaprojects. You'll have to gather materials for this, which will result as "rare" (or at least uncommon) drops from other actions. If you need wood, for example, you'll need to chop wood outside until you manage to snag a piece for yourself before the haulers take it away.

Keep in mind that StoryNexus is a very limited platform in terms of actual gaming. It's designed more for telling stories. I'm trying to use it to make a game, but the focus will always have to be on the text rather than the mechanics, because there are very few mechanics available.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Anvilfolk on September 29, 2013, 10:26:27 am
Yeah, I was wondering about that exactly: whether the world could change according to your actions, and whether it could change all by itself. I kind of feel it would be interesting to contribute some stones to a megaproject, but not have to execute it yourself, for instance. And once the megaproject was complete, that would open up new opportunities.

But yeah, the base seems to be coming along fine - getting curious about the more long-term ideas. I had a harder time with Fallen London because there's already so much happening that I've no idea whether I'm "playing properly". Seeing this grow is helping me figuring out "how to play" these kinds of games, and what is expected :)
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 29, 2013, 10:51:48 am
I find it interesting that you guys are asking what the "right" way to play these games is. I think part of the joy of these games is that there is no right way. You can roleplay a character and only do things the character would do. You can grind through everything and try to experience as much of the content as possible. You can just wander around trying various things and seeing what happens. All ways are "right."

Except for "social" actions (there are not any of these in Riddlerocks yet, but there will be, I promise), nothing you do affects anyone but you. In effect, it's a single-player game, even though it's online. I will try to work in various ways for players to interact, but in the end, you're really only playing for yourself.

I do think a lot can be done with the social actions that hasn't been done yet. In Fallen London, they're mostly used to help you reduce menace like wounds and nightmares. There are one or two that start minor storylines, but not much of interest ever really comes from those. I want to do more with this. I'm sure I can find ways to force players to work together to solve a mystery, for example, or make megaprojects a group effort in some way. As I said before, the possibilities are very limited by the capabilities of the StoryNexus system, but I'm sure I will come up with something unique and interesting to do.

EDIT: It's a good point about Violence. I've renamed it to Force for now, I think it fits better. I just didn't want to use "Strength" since it's so overused in... everything.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on September 29, 2013, 02:03:22 pm
I've made a thread in the other games forum. I couldn't wait any longer! Vattic and Anvilfolk, I've got your names on a list of my "alpha" testers. When the game is released, you'll get extra bonus stuff. : )

Here's the new thread: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=131610.0
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Timeless Bob on October 03, 2013, 05:48:56 pm
Here's an idea: Why not rename "Craftdwafship" to "Cleverness", which would describe that aspect better anyway.  Then the "Crafter" skill describes "someone who makes crafts" - an active profession rather than a passive aspect.
Title: Re: Riddlerocks: DF-Based StoryNexus Game (Playtesters Wanted!)
Post by: Sappho on October 05, 2013, 07:42:48 am
I almost missed your question, since we've moved the discussion to the new thread in the Other Games forum. However, I think "cleverness" would conflict with "wits," which already exists in the game. I want craftsdwarfship to refer to creative ability rather than overall intelligence. For now it's working okay with stonecrafter and metalworker being the only crafting jobs. I'll consider your suggestion, though. It would be nice to be able to include other types of crafts. I'll consider a different name for craftsdwarfship, but it would be something more like creativity rather than cleverness.

Also, do you have a character unlocked for the beta testing going on now? I think I've added quite a lot since the last time you played, but if you're stuck in quarantine, you'll have to give me your character name so I can give you access. And there's plenty more discussion in the Other Games forum, linked to in the post before yours.