Interactive Stories

Okie-dokes, I've had another one of my hair-brained ideas which tends to come to me when I am at work and should frankily be back home doing an impression of something a little like this :

I was chuffed to bits to see people liked "The Questioning" and, while I have a follow-up story(s?) in mind, I wont be doing them for a little while.

Something I am gonna be trying though is a little something I call an 'interactive story' for want of a better term.

For anyone old enough to remember them, this will be like an alternate version of the Fighting Fantasy books, except that mine will be a greatly simplified version.

Basically I will be writing a story that you guys will help to guide. Each week I will add to the story and leave a poll at the end of it so you can all vote what you would like to see next in the story.

I'm hoping this will give those people who dont have the time to get involved in the Forum RP a chance to have some story-driven input on the site.

Here is how I am gonna do it:

1. Story "Episodes" will be posted once per week on a Tuesday night / Wednesday morning (Between the hours of 22:00 GMT on a Tuesday right through to 10:00 GMT on the Wedenesday)

2. There will be 4 choices at the end of the episode which people can vote on.

3. I will only be counting the first 5 votes, so make sure you get your votes in quick if you want to help drive the story!

4. As soon as you vote, also please state your name and what you voted for in the thread.

eg: (Lunarwolf voted A in the poll)
Thread Reads: Lunarwolf, Voted A: "He shoots the guy in the face")

5. If for whatever reason I cannot post on this date (absence, illness, etc) I will mention it in the Absences thread on the site.

6. The voting will not take place at the same time as the Episode posting, but at a random time between Wednesday Night & Thursday Night. This is to allow for everyone to be given the chance to read the episode and also stops people from spam-voting. The time of day the polls will go up is random.

You'll notice that there are 4 choices, but 5 votes. This is to ensure there are no tie-breaks, and that one definative course of action is chosen.

I hope you all have fun and remember - vote fast!

This is such a fantastic idea dude. I was a huge fan of the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingtsone books in my youth so putting it in a Star Wars setting is just perfect!

Let the games begin!

Nice idea you've appropriated there
there hasn't been much RPing lately so it be great to see something like this about

PrioryJK wrote:

There hasn't been much RPing lately so it be great to see something like this about

Aye about that actually, it would be really nice if some of the other members and new recruits would start some new fresh roleplay for the others to join. I won't go into a rant or anything but I am wondering if a few people on the roster (no names) are actually here to join a roleplay guild or not. It has been a concern amongst myself and the officers lately so if anyone feels like doing the guild a big favour and starting some new roleplay then I'd be most grateful. Obviously with "Doom Amongst the Dunes" I already have a set number of players that obviously have been involved in a crash so it'd be a bit weird if I start adding new players into the story! Although I have got an idea how I can bring others in.

As I say I'm not moaning or anything but it would be great if someone could step up and start some fresh RP for people to join.

I could have a stab at starting something up i had a few ideas floating around but I thought that since a few others had grinded to a halt a new one might be DOA

Well I've just kickstarted DATD again so its back in the game.

But yeah feel free to start one. It would be nice to give the others an opportunity to start fleshing out their characters (or any character if they dont have already have one).

Also, I've recently moved Dark Secrets forward a little and am hoping to get a response from one or two more players because its at the cusp of a firefight.

If I don't hear anything soon the people who were after Lilin will just start a'shootin'


Thanks for the vote of confidence on the story though, Episode 1 is already up and the voting begins tonight! (so keep an eye on the forums )

Great idea Lunarwolf. I used to read a few of those types of books. Citadel of Chaos is one I remember and sticks in my mind for some reason, along with some Indianna Jones type books.

I remember Citadel of Chaos! Awesome read and there was one about a Sorcerer and a mountain...I'm gonna have to look them up now!

Forest of Doom was my favourite. That or Beneath Nightmare Castle. Haha! Ahhhh.... Memories...

We dont need no fancy con-souls!!!! rwar!

Actually, I really dont. *loves PC in a non-needing-to-go-to-therapy way*

I absolutely loved this series of books:

Oh really?? Don't need consoles, eh? I have some folks here who want a word with you Mr Dubz...

All right lads, put the SWORDS DOWN.

Looksie, I've not forgotten ya! Feel Da Lurve

OH! I completely forgot to mention:

The voting process is open to everyone;

"Registered", "New Recruits", "Agents", "Officers" and....oh, ok then - "Moderators"!

Slight rules addition:

The Clincher:


I've decided to add in a catch-all to save time.
I deliberately make 4 choices with 5 votes to stop any one choice steam-rollering the other and so that if 4 people chose 4 different options, it would mean 1 more vote would decide.

However, if at least 3 people choose the same option, that means that even if the remaining 2 choose something else, the original will win by sheer numbers.

To speed things up and to stop people feeling they "have" to vote if it looks like a one-horse race, I'm adding in the rule that if 3 people vote for the same thing, the vote is passed and I start on the next part of the story.

I call this a "Clincher".

I brought this in because of this weeks vote, though I suspect it will get more use. Thanks guys

"Urban Predator" will be concluding tonight and seeing as we have had no more votes (ye lazy swines, how long does it take to read something then cut and paste an answer, honestly! tut tut ) the story will be concluding with option 1.

A day after the story has finished (being wed 22nd) I will be moving all the weeks votes to this thread and tidying the "Urban Predator" Thread to include just the 5 Episodes.

OK Urban Predator is now finished!

The last part took me bloomin' ages and had to be split into 3 parts, but its all done now and 'the circle is complete.'

As mentioned in the post above I will be pruning the "vote" posts out of the original story thread and collate them here over the next coupla days leaving just the story itself there.

Please feel free to discuss anything about it or ask any questions here.

Hope you all enjoyed it!

OK as promised all the votes have been pulled out of the main "Urban Predator" thread and moved to a new Votes Thread. Please use the new thread if you wish to discuss the story in any way.

The original Urban Predator Thread now only holds all 5 episodes.



So, is anyone else up for wrtiting one of these interactive stories?

Lunarwolf wrote:

So, is anyone else up for writing one of these interactive stories?

Well, I kind of noticed you struggled with the number of votes needed to progress the (enjoyably brilliant) story. Which was surprising after most people seemed enthusiastic about the idea of a Fighting Fantasy type endeavor.

So I'd say that from the underwhelming response you received, the amount of effort it takes just doesn't seem worth it. Sorry!

Nah, that's fair enough Red. I had hoped for more input off peeps anyway to be honest, not sure if anyone has even read the last bit yet! (in fact I'm pretty sure they haven't otherwise someone would have mentioned the twist!)

Lunarwolf wrote:

not sure if anyone has even read the last bit yet! (in fact I'm pretty sure they haven't otherwise someone would have mentioned the twist!)

Well I've yet to read Part 3, but I confess to taking a peek at the end! -->

Bad you! *double-pimp-backhand-slap-attack!*

Did I mention that absolutely everything I write is inter-connected in some way?

Doh its a cliffhanger!!

Thats was great LW, I was a bit miffed when Sachi got shot lol but I enjoyed it and it's really well written Where is the love from everyone else though? Especially it being Interactive and all :/

I'd like to give it a try sometime maybe when we've got more interest in them and when I've got more time, but you've set the bar pretty @%&# high for the rest of us

Cheers PJK and don't worry about Sachni, she's tough as nails (a Cathar after all!).

Glad you liked it, and if you do ever do one I'll be a'votin' don't you worry