Branching Story

[GameInk]

I've been looking around at how to make a branching story and it sort of makes sense but none of them have any sort of picture references. If anyone would be willing to send some that would be extremely helpful.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

That really depends on where and what the branch is.


For branching stories I suggest, before even TOUCHING the editor, you make flow charts for the story. Especially in the branching is complicated. So that way when it comes to putting in the events you know exactly where an event that requires a branch to happen.


I mocked this up to show how I usually draw my own flow charts for story:

Though, most of them end up more complex then that. You want to make sure you have a solid structure down before you begin. Other paths might open up as you write and event and find branches you never considered the results of, but that's natural. Going in WITHOUT a base is just going to make it a mess.


I'm not sure what else you're asking for here. If you had a more specific aspect of making a branching story that you wanted help with, feel free to ask. (I've made a lot of branching stories. I know what ends in disaster and what doesn't.)


If this is your first game though, I suggest working with a VERY SIMPLE branching story to start with. Even more so if this is your first time working on a story - the story telling in a branching story can be very rewarding, but quite a bit of effort.

 

[GameInk]

That really depends on where and what the branch is.


For branching stories I suggest, before even TOUCHING the editor, you make flow charts for the story. Especially in the branching is complicated. So that way when it comes to putting in the events you know exactly where an event that requires a branch to happen.


I mocked this up to show how I usually draw my own flow charts for story:





Though, most of them end up more complex then that. You want to make sure you have a solid structure down before you begin. Other paths might open up as you write and event and find branches you never considered the results of, but that's natural. Going in WITHOUT a base is just going to make it a mess.


I'm not sure what else you're asking for here. If you had a more specific aspect of making a branching story that you wanted help with, feel free to ask. (I've made a lot of branching stories. I know what ends in disaster and what doesn't.)


If this is your first game though, I suggest working with a VERY SIMPLE branching story to start with. Even more so if this is your first time working on a story - the story telling in a branching story can be very rewarding, but quite a bit of effort.

Yeah I already have at least it all mapped so I know what leads to what. I'm gonna write out the specific scenes as well before touching the program but I wanted to know how to map it out on the program so that could know what my limitations are and make sure that I could do it when the time came.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Again, it's going to depend on HOW your story branches. There's not really one answer to that. However, I can't really see any limitations being set by the program in terms of what you can deliver with a branching story.


Does your story branch by choices made? There's an option to have players make choices and set different events based on the choice.


Are the branches determined by some sort of hidden 'stat' you gain? Like a moral system, where good choices branch you one way and bad choices branch you another based on a cumulative value? You'll use variables and conditional branches.


Does an early choice effect game play later on? Probably a switch triggered by each choice. (or storing a variable at a different number based on each choice)


Does your story branch based on what you equip? Based on how fast you complete certain events? Based on how many of an enemy you defeat. Based on choosing to defeat enemies or not. Based on what time of day it is in the game. Based on what flavour of ice cream you say is your favourite.


Are there events that happen no matter what story branch you're on?


Are there events that can only be seen on one branch but not others?


Are there events seen on 50% of the branches and a different event on the other half?


Like... it's hard to say "Here's how you do THIS" when you aren't asking for a specific THIS. I could tell you how I'd handle my own branching stories, but that's not going to be very helpful.


No matter what though, I suggest familiarizing yourself with conditional branches, what conditions they can handle. Variables and switches. and the player Choice. (and possibly labels)

Most of which are quite aptly in the Game Progression and Flow Control second of the Event Commands. Show Choices is chilling up in the Message section there. There's 4 pages worth of conditional branch settings, they should give you a good idea of the most basic branches you have power over. But using switches and variables, there's honestly not much, if anything, you can't work around a way to control. (But again, no one here can tell you the best way to do something without knowing specifically what you're trying to do.)

 

[GameInk]

Again, it's going to depend on HOW your story branches. There's not really one answer to that. However, I can't really see any limitations being set by the program in terms of what you can deliver with a branching story.


Does your story branch by choices made? There's an option to have players make choices and set different events based on the choice.


Are the branches determined by some sort of hidden 'stat' you gain? Like a moral system, where good choices branch you one way and bad choices branch you another based on a cumulative value? You'll use variables and conditional branches.


Does an early choice effect game play later on? Probably a switch triggered by each choice. (or storing a variable at a different number based on each choice)


Does your story branch based on what you equip? Based on how fast you complete certain events? Based on how many of an enemy you defeat. Based on choosing to defeat enemies or not. Based on what time of day it is in the game. Based on what flavour of ice cream you say is your favourite.


Are there events that happen no matter what story branch you're on?


Are there events that can only be seen on one branch but not others?


Are there events seen on 50% of the branches and a different event on the other half?


Like... it's hard to say "Here's how you do THIS" when you aren't asking for a specific THIS. I could tell you how I'd handle my own branching stories, but that's not going to be very helpful.


No matter what though, I suggest familiarizing yourself with conditional branches, what conditions they can handle. Variables and switches. and the player Choice. (and possibly labels)

Most of which are quite aptly in the Game Progression and Flow Control second of the Event Commands. Show Choices is chilling up in the Message section there. There's 4 pages worth of conditional branch settings, they should give you a good idea of the most basic branches you have power over. But using switches and variables, there's honestly not much, if anything, you can't work around a way to control. (But again, no one here can tell you the best way to do something without knowing specifically what you're trying to do.)

I've already looked around to find what I wanted to do and how I would do it which is to have the choices in the game to do with the bosses. Basically when you fight a boss there is an option to give them an item or kill them and if you have the right item they will join your party. So each boss branches off into two different paths. This was the answer I got for that:



" Basically you make the event with a sprite that when you press the action button when you are next to him, it would initiate the boss fight (Battle Processing), then gives you the options of what happens when you win or lose (If win/ If lose) You make If Lose what you want (most people would make it Game Over). For the If Win, you make a Show Choice, name Choice one Spare (or what ever you wanna call it), make choice to Kill. Now you will get the when "Spare" and when "Kill". For when Spare make a conditional branch and pick the item you want to be required, then under it (Still in the when Spare) make a Change in Party, and add the boss (He has to be in the actors list in the settings). Also make sure the conditional branch has the "add else" ticked, so that if you don't have the required text you will add a dialogue saying the player doesn't have it and he has to kill the boss, then make a dialogue of killing the boss and at the end of it (Still in the "Else") do a Control Self Switch and make it A (or what ever you want). Now for the "Kill" option just make a kill dialogue and another Control Switch A. Finally make a new event page, and at the left, tick the self switch to enable it and set it to what ever letter you chose for the Control Self Switch."


They also sent this picture: http://imgur.com/9WAR4Cs

So this person was extremely helpful but I didn't know where the section was to get to the branching events script page so I asked if anyone could give me picture references for a branching path because I didn't know where the even commands were. But I believe the picture you sent is exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[mistFAWKES]

be careful w branching storylines. especially if you've programmed less than 25 games. it's a massive timetrap, killer of many products. you truly need a GDD before you even open the program if you're going to do this right.


for reference, here is the script(not the GDD, just the script) for the early 2000's game "Deus Ex":

 

[Makio-Kuta]

So this person was extremely helpful but I didn't know where the section was to get to the branching events script page so I asked if anyone could give me picture references for a branching path because I didn't know where the even commands were. But I believe the picture you sent is exactly what I'm looking for.

I will point out you asked 'how to make a branching story?' and not 'where do I find [x], [y], [z] event commands?' It wasn't very clear what you were asking for.


Anyway, it sounds like you're very new to the program. So, just in case you aren't sure how to bring up the Event Command menu - open your event, double click on the Contents section or right click on the Contents section and select new. (if you need a picture of that I can take one, but I think it's pretty straight forward?)


I'm also going to suggest you read over some of the tutorials here: https://www.rpgmakerweb.com/support/products/tutorials


I know they are for Ace, not MV, but a lot of Ace is pretty similar, especially the eventing. (Though, you didn't say here which maker you are using, I think I recall from your other thread it was MV) In particular, part 8 and 9 deal with events and how to interpret different flow charts as events. ALSO if you are new to the program, then take a day or three just fooling around with it. Open a new project and just test what every event command does. The best way to understand a program better is to toy around with it; NOT to make your first time using it to start building the game.


You should already have a reasonable understanding of where and what event commands are available to you before you start actual work on the game. I'm not sure that you need to make 25 games before making a game with a branching story as mistFAWKES suggests, especially if the branch in question is a simple one. (my first COMPLETE game had a branching story, mind you that wasn't my first game or first experience with the program) But I do agree that it shouldn't be your first experience with the editor.

 

[Kyuukon]

I'll just leave here a flowchart from the game Fate/Stay Night :3


http://www.neoneko.net/downloads/Flowchart.pdf


Maybe it helps you get an idea

 

[GameInk]

Again, it's going to depend on HOW your story branches. There's not really one answer to that. However, I can't really see any limitations being set by the program in terms of what you can deliver with a branching story.


Does your story branch by choices made? There's an option to have players make choices and set different events based on the choice.


Are the branches determined by some sort of hidden 'stat' you gain? Like a moral system, where good choices branch you one way and bad choices branch you another based on a cumulative value? You'll use variables and conditional branches.


Does an early choice effect game play later on? Probably a switch triggered by each choice. (or storing a variable at a different number based on each choice)


Does your story branch based on what you equip? Based on how fast you complete certain events? Based on how many of an enemy you defeat. Based on choosing to defeat enemies or not. Based on what time of day it is in the game. Based on what flavour of ice cream you say is your favourite.


Are there events that happen no matter what story branch you're on?


Are there events that can only be seen on one branch but not others?


Are there events seen on 50% of the branches and a different event on the other half?


Like... it's hard to say "Here's how you do THIS" when you aren't asking for a specific THIS. I could tell you how I'd handle my own branching stories, but that's not going to be very helpful.


No matter what though, I suggest familiarizing yourself with conditional branches, what conditions they can handle. Variables and switches. and the player Choice. (and possibly labels)

Most of which are quite aptly in the Game Progression and Flow Control second of the Event Commands. Show Choices is chilling up in the Message section there. There's 4 pages worth of conditional branch settings, they should give you a good idea of the most basic branches you have power over. But using switches and variables, there's honestly not much, if anything, you can't work around a way to control. (But again, no one here can tell you the best way to do something without knowing specifically what you're trying to do.)

I've already looked around to find what I wanted to do and how I would do it which is to have the choices in the game to do with the bosses. Basically when you fight a boss there is an option to give them an item or kill them and if you have the right item they will join your party. So each boss branches off into two different paths. This was the answer I got for that:



" Basically you make the event with a sprite that when you press the action button when you are next to him, it would initiate the boss fight (Battle Processing), then gives you the options of what happens when you win or lose (If win/ If lose) You make If Lose what you want (most people would make it Game Over). For the If Win, you make a Show Choice, name Choice one Spare (or what ever you wanna call it), make choice to Kill. Now you will get the when "Spare" and when "Kill". For when Spare make a conditional branch and pick the item you want to be required, then under it (Still in the when Spare) make a Change in Party, and add the boss (He has to be in the actors list in the settings). Also make sure the conditional branch has the "add else" ticked, so that if you don't have the required text you will add a dialogue saying the player doesn't have it and he has to kill the boss, then make a dialogue of killing the boss and at the end of it (Still in the "Else") do a Control Self Switch and make it A (or what ever you want). Now for the "Kill" option just make a kill dialogue and another Control Switch A. Finally make a new event page, and at the left, tick the self switch to enable it and set it to what ever letter you chose for the Control Self Switch."


They also sent this picture: http://imgur.com/9WAR4Cs

So this person was extremely helpful but I didn't know where the section was to get to the branching events script page so I asked if anyone could give me picture references for a branching path because I didn't know where the even commands were. But I believe the picture you sent is exactly what I'm looking for.


Well you caught me, I am pretty new to the program and haven't actually started making the game yet (wanted to have everything written out first) but I have been reading through the tutorials and I haven't quite gotten to tutorial 8 where the event things are. I'm sorry, if I was better informed this could have been answered a lot easier. And by the way I do use Ace (I think it says that under my portrait). And you're right I'll definitely start playing around with the program to get a lot more comfortable with it. Thank you for the help anyway.