Shark Bait has changed quite considerably since its first conception. Some basic aesthetic aspects have changed such as switching the sea horse to an octopus and the addition of various objects in rooms that are not completely necessary to plot but add to the overall ambiance of the game. Some more structural aspects have changed as well in an effort to beef up the game play and add substance.
One outcome is already in place that is somewhat simple and I feel as if needs to be “bucked” up a bit by adding more variation and player action because the first outcome as is feels as if it is too passive and doesn’t involve the player enough. However, I’ve decided that I still want to keep the first outcome more skeletal than the second so that the game has a feeling of depth and versatility. I am still finding that it is important to remind myself that the player will not have A priori knowledge of certain game objects or outcomes so it is necessary to look at the game from all angles and foreshadow where applicable. This process is also aided by having others test the game at various stages. A fresh player can notice mistakes and convoluted game aspects more readily than someone who has been repeatedly testing the game.
Another more complicated outcome is currently in the works that will run parallel to the first rather than fully intertwine. It involves transforming the already existing octopus into an unlikely superhero named Octogirl who fights for “Sweet, sweet fishy justice.” Because this character is going to be partially human her interactable nature will add modularity and further plot possibilities. Hopefully the maneuver from rideable animal to super human octopus can be made with an instead rule that is reliant on a specific interaction with the octopus.
At this point in the game’s production Inform’s language is feeling more natural and isn’t causing many problems. It is proving more of a challenge to produce interesting problems and codes for the player to solve. I’m having a bit of writers block when it comes to the specifics of the aforementioned second ending but am fighting it by brainstorming and running over in my mind ways in which to develop further. Listing character characteristics, objects and possible actions is also helpful in this process so that you can clearly see the “cards in your hand”, so to speak, and then mix and match and add to them in order to further the story.
A program such as Tinderbox would actually prove to be a great companion to Inform during this thinking process so that several characters and objects could be visually connected with notes of ideas for actions and descriptions, especially if I was creating a more complex and complicated game. One could actually create a note for each room that has been created in Inform and then add objects and play with ideas from there in a way that is more accurate to the way of thinking when creating a game.
