Reflection
I enjoyed this task because it’s something that I would never have tried out otherwise. Even though it was challenging, I felt satisfied in the end because I felt like I had learned a new skill. When I was working on this task, I faced two main challenges, they are:
Challenge 1: No experience with Twine
Having no experience with Twine meant that I am not familiar with what level of coding is required and what functions Twine is capable of coding. Often, I did not know how to create the effect that I wanted to express my story better. Even though there are code lists on Twine, I found them very difficult to understand. I think it’s because the sentences in the code lists were formal. I think it would have been simpler to understand if colloquial language had been used. I learned how to code on Twine mainly through YouTube videos of others explain on papering the process. While I watched the videos, I would write down on paper the codes that I think are helpful. I didn’t have any good strategies besides watching others’ code, keeping notes, and trial and error on my own.
Challenge 2: No gaming experience
Having no gaming experience meant that I am not as good at setting the scene with text and creating an interesting narrative story. Before I began writing, my strategy was to write down some themes and brainstorm which theme would be more suitable. I decided to create a story with a Chinese myth theme, allowing me to introduce Chinese characters. I chose this theme because I found it very interesting to note the differences between typing phonetic words versus graphical words, as I came across the concept in my previous readings. I wrote down a simple story outline and then started to code on Twine. Writing in a way that others can follow along with my thought process was challenging. The first time I finished creating the game, I asked my husband to play, and he mentioned there were several places that he couldn’t follow along. I was changing the perspective from the narrator to the player’s thoughts without indicating that perspectives have changed. I think it’s a real art to write in a way that moves people emotionally. I never thought that was so important in a video game, but when I was writing, I realized how artistic a game designer should be to create a game that interests people.
Anyways, hope you enjoy playing the game!
Here it is: The Quest.html
