INTERACTIVE Photonovel - Not an update, but worth a look!

[Quazar]

Hey, gang, please check out and play the web's first FULLY INTERACTIVE photonovel experience!!!

Think of this like one of those old "King's Quest" style video games, or
a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.  In this story, YOU, the reader
gets to decide how the action will unfold!

So be sure to post your replies to what you think our main character
should do.

And don't be afraid to EXPLORE and INTERACT with your environment, and ACQUIRE any objects which aren't nailed down.

Have fun and please note that a parallel thread is running with this story on rebelscum, so responses from both websites will determine
the course of the action.

Enjoy!

[CHEWIE]

Lance, your work is amazing (but you already know how much I like it) - I really think it is cool that you have come up with something so creative and different from the norm.  Very cool.

I hope all of the customizing junkies here appreciate what you are doing, as much for us as for yourself. 

Check these out guys, they are very, very cool.  And there are some really nice and unique customs in them.

And Lance, welcome to the forums here at JD.com.  This is such a great community here - feel free to please join us in discussions on the "ROTS" section and others, and visit the "Newbie" section to introduce yourself to everyone.   

 

[Vator]

I'm afraid I cannot view it, as I'm banned. Any chance of it coming here?

[Quazar]

Alright, VATOR, per your request, here is the game!!!














You have been in your uncle's quarters on Farspace Station for several days now.

Other than heading to a nearby cafeteria for meals, you haven't left the room or explored the station since your arrival.

Instead, you have spent the last few days studying technical manuals on your data pad while waiting for your uncle to arrive.

There are a few crates in the middle of the messy room.  One open one seems to contain nothing but dirty laundry.

Your belongings, including your backpack and trusty toolkit rest on another, along with the remnants of your lunch.

Trash left by your uncle litters the floor.

A computer terminal stands in the corner of the room.  On top of it, an eletronic device of some kind rests.

You are very concerned about your uncle's absence.  There has been no word and he is several days late.

What should you do?

Right away, a few options spring to mind.

You could visit the station's security office to file a missing persons report.  But, then again, on a station this size, you think they might have a lot more pressing concerns to deal with.

Still, if there has been any foul play on the station recently, the security office would know.

You head down to the Main Commerce Level.  Travellers and merchants frequent the bars and shops in this busy plaza and you might be able to find some information there.

You could try going to the docking bays.  Maybe your uncle is simply on his ship and absent-mindedly forgot to tell you to meet him there.  You seem to recall he mentioned something about being berthed in Bay D-37.

Then again, maybe your uncle couldn't wait any longer and had to start the mission without you.  In that case, it would seem like the only real option is to go home and see if you can find another way to spend the summer.

Inventory:
Data pad with technical manuals and schematics

Tool kit

Backpack containing -
1 comm link
73 credits
change of clothing


WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?

[Quazar]

The game has progressed somewhat due to input over at rebelscum.

One player suggested cleaning the room as a first step, which you have done, and looking at the crates in the room.

While cleaning the room, you discovered a hold out blaster in your uncle's laundry crate, which you took into your possession.

You decided to save the blue bottle, as it is half-full of some kind of booze.

You caughta  better glimpse of the "blue electronic device" on the computer terminal in the corner. It looks to be some kind of control pad, but it still is sitting in its place.

The gray crate in the foreground contains spare starship parts, nothing of tremendous value.

The other crate now has your uncle's dirty laundry in it.

The blue and gray crate is LOCKED.  You won't be able to open this baby without permanently damaging it, if you choose.

We currently have two votes in favor of going to the docking bay first.

I will try to post a new scene tonight or tomorrow.  Until then, ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!

Make sure to interact and explore your environment as much as possible in addition to just making the big choices.  You never know what you might find (the hidden blaster, for example.)

So please feel free to jump in and play the game!  I will make sure to post all results in both this thread and on rebelscum.

[Quazar]

Lance, your work is amazing (but you already know how much I like it) - I really think it is cool that you have come up with something so creative and different from the norm.  Very cool.

I hope all of the customizing junkies here appreciate what you are doing, as much for us as for yourself. 

Check these out guys, they are very, very cool.  And there are some really nice and unique customs in them.

And Lance, welcome to the forums here at JD.com.  This is such a great community here - feel free to please join us in discussions on the "ROTS" section and others, and visit the "Newbie" section to introduce yourself to everyone.   

 

By the way, Chewie, I am deeply humbled and honored by your effusive compliments, especially since I am so much in awe of your boundless customizing and photonovel writing talents.

However, as much as I appreciate your support, I hope you will actually jump in and PLAY the game!!  Your compliments are always appreciated, but I'd love to hear some suggestions for what you think our character should do and how the game should unfold!

[Vator]

Thanks Quazar! I really appreciate that.

Hmmm, I think he should go to the docking bay aswell.

[CHEWIE]

I think he should go to the docking bay and see if he can find his uncle there.  And be sure to bring his inventory with him.

 

[Quazar]

Okay, gang, time for scene two!

In both this thread and the one on rebelscum, the response has been unanimous!  It's off to the docking bay (with all your possessions, per Chewie's suggestion)

So here goes...













The Trandoshan finishes speaking, again flashing you that wide, sharp smile.  His companions, however, remain stoic.

The Trandoshan seems amiable enough - maybe they really are three travellers who lost their money at the sabbac tables and need a break.

But you can't help but notice that his two companions appear rather...armed. 

Your thoughts fly quickly to your own blaster, concealed under your shirt.  Could you outgun this bunch if necessary? 

Would it be better just to bluff your way out of this?

Or should you just cut and run?

Or maybe you could take them at their word and offer them a ride?

If they are up to something, it might be best to play along and figure out what it might be.

The absence of your uncle is definitely disturbing.  If his ship is here, where the heck did he go?  Could these three have had something to do with it?

One thing seems clear. Here, down in a relatively deserted docking level, you're pretty much on your own.

Your heart begins to beat a little faster.   Whatever you decide, it had better be quick....

Inventory:

Blaster
tool kit
Backpack containing -
73 credits
technical data pad
comm link
bottle of booze
change of clothing

WHAT DO YOU DO?

[CHEWIE]

Now this is getting cool - I love the storyline!!! Wow, Lance this is exciting!!!

I would say try and play along a bit - you are outnumbered and these guys look tough. If possible, I would say you are in fact looking for the pilot too - but I wouldn't give away the fact that the owner of the ship is your uncle. I would ask if they know who the owner of the ship is, as you are looking around the docking bays for a cheap transport.

 

[Jesse James]

Hey Quazar,

Now that's a great idea...  Interactive storylines.  I love it and enjoy going along with the story.  That's an ambitious project you have going on and really nice customs in it too, right off the bat, plus you take the time to make the settings surrounding them interesting and realistic.

You took the photonovel concept to a whole new level, and deserve recognition for that!

You should take your story over to www.ffurg.com and their new forums.  I know you'd have a lot of appreciative followers checking it out there.  Just say hi when you're there if you'd like to join in on it.

I look forward to a lot more of your story, it's definitely a great concept since I think the interaction maybe will draw in the outsiders from the customizing world too.  I'm gonna keep up with it for sure.

Thanks man, for sharing this with us!

[CHEWIE]

Yeah, like Jesse said, at FFURG.com, there will probably be a good following.

Still though, I like to see it here and at scum... especially here.   

I'm wondering if there will be any Imperial entanglements in the storyline?   

 

[Quazar]

Hey Quazar,

Now that's a great idea...  Interactive storylines.  I love it and enjoy going along with the story.  That's an ambitious project you have going on and really nice customs in it too, right off the bat, plus you take the time to make the settings surrounding them interesting and realistic.

You took the photonovel concept to a whole new level, and deserve recognition for that!

You should take your story over to www.ffurg.com and their new forums.  I know you'd have a lot of appreciative followers checking it out there.  Just say hi when you're there if you'd like to join in on it.

I look forward to a lot more of your story, it's definitely a great concept since I think the interaction maybe will draw in the outsiders from the customizing world too.  I'm gonna keep up with it for sure.

Thanks man, for sharing this with us!

Jesse,

Thank you very much for the kind words. I'd love to take the story over to the legendary ffurg.  (Chewie had suggested as much, but I never got around to it.)

What thread do you think it would belong in?  The customs or custom diorama thread?

Frankly, the bigger an audience this thing gets and the more input we have, the better the game/story will be.

It's great to be here on jedidefender.  Thanks for making me feel welcome and don't forget to write in with your ideas for how the game should unfold!

-Lance Quazar

[Quazar]

Okay, guys, it's time to make some tough choices here.

The game is now on three websites and I have culled a list of four possible solutions based on reader input.

They are:
MurderWeapon wrote:

Explain that you [looking for transport and] are waiting for the ship owner as in the bar he told you to wait here and while you wait with them offer them the Booze that you found. Perhaps if the trio is a bit inebriated this may help if the confrontation does heat up 


Or the slightly different:
Chewie wrote:

I would say you are in fact looking for the pilot too - but I wouldn't give away the fact that the owner of the ship is your uncle. I would ask if they know who the owner of the ship is, as you are looking around the docking bays for a cheap transport.


From ffurg, we have something different:
the Spectre wrote:

I think he should mutter something about being in the wrong docking bay and attempt to leave. He should then go back to his Uncle's room and get the control pad and attempt to return to the docking bay later on to attempt entry to the ship after making sure no one seedy is around....


And the boldest suggestion:
Darktrooper wrote:
Throw the bottle of booze at the Trandoshan, Dive for cover under the ship and blast em!





So, what should we do? Chewie and MurderWeapon are close, but there are fundamental differences. And the other two are quite different.

I'd love to post a new scene tomorrow night. Anyone here want to break a tie? Or throw another idea out there??

[Quazar]

Wow, gang, I was thrilled with the responses during this last round.  Everyone who participated came up with some great ideas, any one of them would have made for an exciting continuation of the story.

But since we had so many diverse suggestions, I tried to find the commonalities between them and combine them as best as possible.

A recurring theme was making up a story to tell the Trandoshan & Co.  and avoid telling them about your uncle.

So I combined elements from the suggested lies by several players, including Chewie, 187_Maul, Darth Delicious, and MurderWeapon.

Additionally, both The Spectre and Darth Delicious suggested going back to the room to get the control pad, so that's what I did after that. 

Again, thanks for the great input and let's keep this baby rolling!  So without further delay, here is the NEW SCENE -






















Inventory:
Hold out blaster
Backpack containing -
73 credits
comm link
ship control pad
data pad with technical schematics
bottle of booze
change of clothing

At this point, your choices seem clear - stand your ground or bolt...

and whatever you decide, it had better be quick!

WHAT DO YOU DO??