HI leo, if you don't remember, this was YOUR idea.
Okay, so basically Leo made a thread on how to make forum games. I contributed on it, but sadly since it was in the S&S it didn't get much renown. Then I ended up reading this thread:here
So I decided to make one thread that you can contribute on how you can make forum games, pretty much a reviving Leo's thread.
Note that you can contribute.
This is mine:
I. Storyline The storyline is perhaps the most important part of your forum game. If it appeals your audience, more or less he will join. There isn't actually a technique in this, bec. it depends solely on the player. I suggest making the storyline something you like. This way, you can "relate" to the player. For example, if you like zombies, why not make a zombie RPG? This way when the audience says something that is related to zombies you know what it is, and you don't have to research for it.
I.A. Linearity Most players hate linear storyline gameplay, so I suggest make your story as non linear as possible. This way, you can have many places and different endings. This works perfectly well for teamwork forum games. You can add excitement by frequently joining and dividing them.
II.Gameplay This is one of the most complex part of the game. This decides how the player plays.
II.A. Choices There are many kinds of how you want the player to have choices. This depends on you, or the status of the game.
II.A.A. Letters, checkbox method This is the classic "A. Escape B.Fight"
This method is perhaps the easiest to manage. This way, the player will have to adhere with your given choices.YOu in turn, would have to think only simply for the result.
The downside of this method though, is that the player cannot have any creativity.
II.A.B. Creative, free choice This is the "What will you do?" question
Contradicting common belief, this kind of choice is actually hard to use if you are the Gamemaster. Unless the game is the "silly for fun" game, this kind of choice requires the gamemaster more time to think of the result. This choice should be used sometimes only, and when you just need to take in to variable how creative the player will be.
For example, let me show you the good and bad way on how to use the choice:
1. You have ten teddy bears, one pole, one sharpening stone, two keys, and some rope. What are you going to do with them to make a weapon? (This way, the person has to be creative to make the weapon. This is the good way.)
2. YOu are being attacked by the enemy, what are you going to do? (This way, the person can cheat. If he says "shoot the trees with my lasers to cut them in half to end the pursuit", you, the game master has to end the pursuit so easily, even though it is not meant to be.)
II.B. Action Okay, this decides how you win, lose, and move.
II.B.A. The character sheet The character sheet, a.k.a. the prop for some people, is something you must always take care of. Of course that is if you want to be variablitic. Just let them make a character sheet
II.B.B. Variablitic This requires more math, but makes a more legitimate experience. Let us make an example sheet. Note that we use 40 points for the attribute points
Int.-This means dummy has intelligence equal to a normal human being Spd.-This means dummy can run 2 miles per hour(This can be any distance or any time. It can even be 2/hour) Man.-This means he can be as flexible as a normal person. Str.-This means he can be as strong as a normal person.
But that was pretty redundant. Lets elaborate it. Let's say we have an enemy sheet: Name:MOnsterdummy Intelligence: 10 Speed: 10 Manueverability:10 Strength:10
