Post Your Game Thread—With a Twist

[Richard Sharpe]

Here's a proposal designed to promote some friendly fun and community building. Consider participating even if you're not that big into this whole thing—this community could use a little interaction and socializing. Maybe you won't get much out of it, but someone else might really enjoy having someone review their game and at the same time feel rewarded for being able to offer a game review as well.

Here's the rules: you can use this thread to post your game, but first, you must post a review of the last game posted. Here's another rule, you can not review or comment on a game unless you first post a game. I'll post the rules in a numbered list:

1. Review the last game posted.
   
2. Post your game.

That's all there is to it.

For clarification:

1. You can not post a game unless you review the last game posted.
2. You can not post a review of, or comment on, any games in this thread unless you first review the last game posted and post a game. 
3. You can review as many games as you like as long as you review the last game posted and post a game.

After reviewing the last game posted and posting your own game, you can forevermore review and comment on posted games in this thread as often as you'd like. However, it would be nice if you only reviewed a few games between posting a game of your own.

The game you post doesn't have to be finished. It can be about anything. It can suck. It can be your magnum opus. It can be your magnum opus and suck.

Unfortunately, we really must rule out strong adult content (e.g., pictures of nudity and pictures/depictions/graphic descriptions of sexual intercourse). I don't know what Google's or this forum's polices are on the matter, but such games would exclude our younger audience and those who are seriously offended by such things. Note that I didn't say, "Because it rules out people who don't like such things," because it's very possible that anyone posting a game must first review a type of game they don't like or game set in a genre of which they aren't a big fan. I'm not a big fan of sports games, so I won't be thrilled to review a fantasy baseball Twine game, but that's part of the deal. "Strong adult content" could also include some very serious matters. For example, games in which the player is a member of a hate group who goes around killing the target of their discrimination. Please, be respectful. Let's try to make games that are fun for a wide audience of race/religion/nationality/sexual preference/sociopolitical/socioeconomic background. That doesn't mean you can't make a game about sensitive current affairs or issues, but that's really not my intent starting this thread. I'd rather we stick to fun games about fun topics. You know, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, romance . . . fun games most people enjoy playing.

You can leave instructions and make requests of your prospective reviewer (for example, "Please, check my spelling") and that reviewer should be courteous enough to to at least consider obliging.

Here's a FAQ written before a single question is even asked!


Q: I don't want to post a game, but I'd be happy to help and participate by being so kind as to review other people's games.
A: NO!

Q: But that person needs my help with their game!
A: Then they can start a thread asking for help with their game.

Q: imma post my game here KTHXBAI.............
A: NO!

Q: Does my game have to be finished to post it?
A: NO!

Q: Does my game have to ROXSORS to post it?
A: NO!

Q: I reviewed the last game posted, then posted my own game. May I review others as well?
A: NO! . . . Wait. YES!

Q: Can I make a game about [race/religion/nationality/sexual preference/sociopolitical/socioeconomic issue]?
A: Please don't, but yes.

Q: Does my review have to be lengthy and thorough?
A: No. However, it can be and it would be nice if it were.

Q: Can my review just be, "Nice game!" or whatever?
A: If you feel that's appropriate and considerate to the author of the game you're reviewing, yes.

Q: How do I post my game?
A: Attach the HTML and/or TWS file generated by Twine to your post reviewing the last game posted, or upload it to any number of hosting services including The Interactive Fiction Database.


I'll start by posting a little game I'm working on. The next poster (who participates in the activity) will review my game and post his or her own. The poster after that will review that game and post his or her own game and so on and so forth.

My game is just a stupid little learning experience and it's far from anywhere near complete. I'm just playing around with variables for the first time. For some reason, the basic combat system works just fine on occasion and on others, it doesn't (HP of monster or player will show "NaN" though it displays zero and negatives fine). I can play the exact same HTML file with Twine closed over and over and it will work just fine or not at all randomly. There's no real need to look into it. I'm sure I'll figure it tomorrow. Right now, I'm super sleepy, so fresh eyes in the morning will see the error.

Thanks for participating!

[Devi]

Review #1! 

I know this is more of a game sample, so I'll review it as such. 

To me this game felt like more of a test of game mechanics than an actual game, and for that I think that this work does a good job showing the potentials of Twine, particularly with a battle system. I know that there are a few users floating around that were looking for an RPG-type game and hoping to make one themselves, so it's good to see a nice clean example of that here. The player starts in a near-empty room, presumably a dungeon. A torch and sword are available. And all the player is told is that s/he must escape.

Given the "conventional RPG"-type story, this beginning has a lot to offer. It is clever with the *spoiler* table with the trap and I think that more little tricks and details like this will be the thing that really brings out the wit and the heart of the RPG. I also think that there's a lot of potential for the voice of the second-person narrator--much like the live narrator of a role-playing game the narrator will be the instrument by which the player sees the world, and I think that bringing through this voice will really bring life to the game. 

One thing I was confused about was the fighting mechanic. Perhaps I was just mistaken, but I think that my attacks were damaging myself rather than the goblin. Attached is a screenshot--the goblin "missed" but I ended up dying, so I'm pretty sure that my attack lowered my own HP rather than the goblin's. Also, what does "the enemy's HP are NaN" mean? Does that mean the enemy's HP is 0? This is how the goblin showed up every time, so I was confused as to whether I had to attack him or whether his health was already depleted from the outset. It's also clear that the "Run" mechanic hasn't been implemented yet as all that comes up is a "3". That's alright; it makes me look forward to seeing the rest of the game. 

All in all, I think that this game has a lot of potential. I've a penchant for playing old-style RPGs and I think that this will be a great edition to the Twine repository once it is completed. With more puzzles and perhaps even a storyline or pixel-y illustrations, this could be a great game and story. At this point, though, I think that it is a great illustration of the power of Twine. 

--

So this is my game, called "The Abyss." I'm not sure if it is a "fun game about a fun topic" but I know that other people have enjoyed it, so I hope you, reader, do as well.

IFDB Page: http://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=ggp2gtqag2cb8s0

Direct webpage: http://chooseyourownnovel.webs.com/abyss_final2.html

Android app download page: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=inky.abyss&hl=en

Self-promotion now done. Thanks for reading!

--

NOTE: So after this I can post reviews to other games without posting any more games, right?

[Richard Sharpe]

Yay! Perfect job! A Winner is You!

Thanks for your review, comments and encouragement! I'll play your game as soon as I get a chance, but I'll wait before offering a review or comment until someone else goes. However, I've played enough to know that it fits the bill perfectly!

In answer to your question, yes, you can now review and/or comment on any and all other games posted in this thread. However, it would be nice if people post games every two or three games or so they give comment on or review of.

In answer to the NaN thing, like I say, it's a glitch. I have no idea what NaN is or why it's showing up sporadically. For some reason, you can play the HTML file of the game 10 times and 4-6 times, the HP will glitch. It only happens when the first attack is missed, but it happens every time when that's the case. It can happen to both the player and the monster or both or neither. Once it happens, the game is broken and it must be restart. I haven't looked at it yet today. Hopefully, it's a simple fix, and I imagine it is.

[Richard Sharpe]

I can neither delete my game, nor upload a new version to replace it, but know that I easily fixed the issue with the NaN after taking a quick look and, thanks to Devi, I noticed that there was some issues with how the game was reporting the numbers. Should be a solid foundation now, ready to expand into things like spells and items and such.

To anyone considering downloading my game above, don't bother. It's worthless at this point. Misses occur on the first round of combat more than half the time, and that breaks combat. Plus, one of the numbers being displayed is flip-flopped with the monster's, so there's really no point at all.

[Richard Sharpe]

Wow. It's been nearly forty-eight hours and there are only twenty-four views, some of those mine from school and other computers. I knew the community was tiny, but I really expected at least two or three games/reviews by now.

[Early Day]

I think most people post their games to their own threads, if at all. I like the idea for what it's worth, but unfortunately my games break the content rules.

[Richard Sharpe]

Oh, I very much agree that "post your game" threads are counterproductive! I'm glad you addressed the issue!

You see, this thread was designed with a very specific goal. Please, allow me to explain.

"Post your game" threads usually stay at the top of a forum even if not a sticky note. However, almost everyone who goes there is doing so to post their game. They aren't playing the games posted. Other people might use the thread to find a game to play—that's the dual-purpose of such threads, after all, and the reason people post their games there. However, since almost everyone who is going to the thread is doing so to post a game, not play, few games in such threads get played and even fewer get any sort of review. So, even though your game might get played a few times, you'll likely never know it.

As you can see, I don't believe "post your game" threads are worthwhile.

However, this isn't a "post your game" thread. Not at all.

Like I said, this is a community building thread. Says so right in the first sentence of the original post. This is a thread to socialize. A thread to meet new game authors. A thread to talk with fellow game makers. And, yes, it's also a thread to find games, review games, and, of course, a thread to post your game.

Here's how I try to make that work. If people could be allowed to just review and talk about games in this thread, there won't be many games posted here. Like you say, people post their games in their own threads for that purpose. Soon, this thread would disappear into the pages of the past, never to be viewed again. Thread failure.

"Post your games" suffer from thread failure of a different sort. While "post your game" threads normally stick around because people are posting their games there (in addition to making their own threads on the topic), no one is really playing the games in the threads. So, "post your games" threads are just as much of a failure as a "review if you wanna" thread because in the end, no one's getting their game played.

By forcing a review and a game and not one or the other, the thread should be self-sustaining. People will constantly post games if for no other reason than to be able to review games, and even if the game they post ise terrible, they will still get those games reviewed; everyone will. Both people who like to post games and people who like to review games are getting their money's worth here.

Maybe that's not quite enough, though, so I spelled it out and billed it true. Here's the first three sentences of the original post, now with underlines (yay!):

Here's a proposal designed to promote some friendly fun and community building. Consider participating even if you're not that big into this whole thing—this community could use a little interaction and socializing. Maybe you won't get much out of it, but someone else might really enjoy having someone review their game and at the same time feel rewarded for being able to offer a game review as well. 

With less than 30 views, I can't really say it's a failure yet. I mean, this is one really tiny community. Perhaps over the course of months and years this thread will see some good use. Who knows.


So, Early Day, I challenge you to make a non-pr0n game, no matter how simple and incomplete, and participate in the thread, if not for your own fun or amusement, then for the good of the community.

I really hope you accept the challenge! :-)

[Early Day]

I do not often get challenged, but when I do, I'm inclined to accept.

Actually you've given me an idea. It might be kind of humorous to do a safe for work version on my next project. And for the record, I wouldn't call my stuff 'pr0n' ... it's simply mature content.

[Richard Sharpe]

Fantastic! I've written a full review of The Abyss and would like to post it along with an update of my little game experiment, but I'll wait for your post (or whoever's). :-)

[Richard Sharpe]

Apparently, as far as I can tell, if "or" is an operator in a conditional statement, it's going to be true no matter what.

<<set $foo = 7>>

<<if $foo eq 123198329823 or -3218894389843932>>Hello!<<endif>>

You'll see "Hello!" every time.

[Liyamu]

So... not sure who's game to review, has the chain already broken after 1 submission?

[Devi]

Um... I'm thinking mine?

 http://chooseyourownnovel.webs.com/abyss_final2.html

[Richard Sharpe]

Right. Chain isn't broken, just no more links. :-)

You are the only person to have posted a game at all to the Twine Google Groups outside this thread since it began 11/25/13. In other words, there have been no other games posted at all, not just none in this thread.

Thing is, we now have official forums, which are thriving, so it's little surprise. :-)


— Sharpe

[Richard Sharpe]

I just noticed you're the same person who had trouble getting on the forums. Did you e-mail Chris?

[Liam Neeley-Brown]

Ah, right.  That makes sense.  

and yes, finally got that sorted out, thanks.  I'm currently haunting both forums.  :)

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