Case: Housepets!-A Choose Your Own Adventure Game

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 1:08 pm

I'm gonna go with 2 and 4 as well.

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 2:04 pm

FancyHat wrote:2, 4, 1. In that order.

This

Naro Rivers · Post by **Naro Rivers** » Sun Dec 25, 2016 3:45 am

The stars on option four have me wondering: is that option yellow or gold? I concur with FancyHat.

Tales · Post by **Tales** » Sun Dec 25, 2016 5:01 pm

I side with fancyhat. First, Guilt-trip. Next, logic. Finally, sooth.

Post by **Render** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 5:28 pm

I vote for option 1 because I want to know what trick that is. ^^

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:35 am

Okay something I gotta address is that yall're trying to chain choices WAAAY too much. I've started to let it slide for quite a while but I should make a point that not all options will be ones you can choose multiple answers on. If I was super strict and set this to hard mode (or I guess "normal mode" technically), you wouldn't be allowed to do that at all.

From now on, you can only chain 2 to 3 options at max. However, you have to be SURE that that is the right thing to do, and a majority of people have to have done the exact same chain in that order for you to make it work. If you start abusing the chain option, or do it in a place that doesn't make sense, I'll start putting in minor penalties. The longer the chain, the bigger the risk.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Legotron123 wrote:2 and 4. Logic to the rescue!

SuperStar wrote:2 and 4!

HellishK9 wrote:Yup, 2 and 4 seems best.

FancyHat wrote:2, 4, 1. In that order.

D-Rock wrote:I agree with 2 and 4, but what's with the stars on 4?

Saturn381 wrote:I'm gonna go with 2 and 4 as well.

Douglas Collier wrote:
FancyHat wrote:2, 4, 1. In that order.
This

Tales wrote:I side with fancyhat. First, Guilt-trip. Next, logic. Finally, sooth.

Echo: Did you even consider how your little outburst would effect Charlie?! Not everyone's as "tough" as you ya know! You don't think you could have told him about it any better?!

Bravo: ...I told you, he needed to know. The sooner you rip off the bandaid, the less pain you have to deal with in the long run. He probably wouldn't have believed me if I didn't do it then and there--

Echo: Besides, I WAS trying to help prevent them from separating us, and you even admitted to it a few seconds ago! I checked the food and the cabinets to make sure there was nothing wrong with it, in case they were trying to get rid of any of us! I closed the window to show we were well mannered, to give them a reason to think twice before sending us away! If they showed signs of guilt, then we'd be on to something, and we were! And the reason I was trying to calm you down was so that we could actually hear them out! We were about to figure out exactly what they were planning, but you kept cutting them off! I did everything I could Bravo, don't try to pin this on me!

Bravo: FINE! WHATEVER! I KNOW! I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT, BUT I COULDN'T HELP IT! I WAS SCARED, OKAY? I thought everything I worked for was falling apart around me! All I want is for all of us to be together, if you or I aren't around Charlie, then how am I supposed to be sure he's safe?! I just want to make sure he's safe! I shouldn't have even told Mom n' Dad to adopt you guys, at least then you'd still be together! Why don't they just get rid of ME? I'm the one who always get's you two in trouble, I don't even deserve to be your older brother!

Charlie:...

Bravo admitted he is wrong. What should you say to him?
1. Remind him of the 'stress control trick'
2. "It's not your fault either..."
3. "We need you too."
4. "Get a hold of yourself!"
5. "..."
6. Improvise

Legotron123 · Post by **Legotron123** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:59 am

In order, 4, 3, and 1.

SuperStar · Post by **SuperStar** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:25 am

6, Improvise: "You are totally right." But then switch into 3. Make it clear he has been a problem, but we don't want to be without him.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:29 am

I'll go with (in order) option 4, then option 2, then option 3.

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 12:53 pm

4, 2, 1."Firing for effect!"..

HellishK9 · Post by **HellishK9** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:01 pm

I going with 4 and then 3

Tales · Post by **Tales** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:02 pm

Didn't ChaokoCartoons JUST tell us to stop chaining multiples together? I am going with 3.

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:22 pm

Tales wrote:Didn't ChaokoCartoons JUST tell us to stop chaining multiples together? I am going with 3.

They've got quite the large tails they do. I like their moxie! They're doublin' down, all or nothing

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:30 pm

CHAOKOCartoons wrote:
Tales wrote:Didn't ChaokoCartoons JUST tell us to stop chaining multiples together? I am going with 3.
They've got quite the large tails they do. I like their moxie! They're doublin' down, all or nothing

Oye, if it ain't broke, don't fix it as the old saying goes.. Though sometimes you might have to upgrade it a bit.

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 5:42 pm

FancyHat wrote:
CHAOKOCartoons wrote:
Tales wrote:Didn't ChaokoCartoons JUST tell us to stop chaining multiples together? I am going with 3.
They've got quite the large tails they do. I like their moxie! They're doublin' down, all or nothing
Oye, if it ain't broke, don't fix it as the old saying goes.. Though sometimes you might have to upgrade it a bit.

Oh the system is absolutely broken for a choose your own adventure game, this is practically cheating

I nerfed it to make it a little LESS broken, but in the end of the day this isn't something I intended to be a mechanic at all.

Post by **D-Rock** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:18 pm

How about giving us a max amount of choices at times where it seems appropriate? Not all decision points, mind you. For now, I'm torn.
1 seems like a great idea in the long run, as a way for him to manage harsh situations (I know I need something like that increasingly often)
at the same time, he needs reassurance with 2.

Naro Rivers · Post by **Naro Rivers** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:56 am

Option one: Remind him of the "stress control trick".

Partly because he needs to calm down, but also because I'm curious to know what it is.

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:13 am

D-Rock wrote:How about giving us a max amount of choices at times where it seems appropriate? Not all decision points, mind you. For now, I'm torn.
1 seems like a great idea in the long run, as a way for him to manage harsh situations (I know I need something like that increasingly often)
at the same time, he needs reassurance with 2.

I considered this, but that could also hand hold you guys a bit more than it should. If I told you when it was best to chain 2 or 3 times, you'd probably know exactly what to do. On top of that, it takes away a lot of tension of tough choices. Adding a karma penalty to the chain option balances out the fact that the game becomes far easier once you get to say and do everything you want to in a given situation. Much like real life: sometimes you need to say more, but other times you might say too much.

As for those who think the penalty for over or incorrectly chaining aren't much to worry about, you're not completely wrong, but sometimes those small penalties can hit you at the worst times, or stack up and make things really bad

But still, if you're SURE it's the right thing to chain in a given situation, by all means do it, as you can greatly benefit from being able to say 2 things in some situations.

Buster · Post by **Buster** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:46 am

6: no talking, he needs a hug first.

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:23 pm

Aye, give him a hug. Options 2 and 3. Also, let's use 6 to suggest they find work like they were discussing before dinner - maybe they can support themselves a bit.

Post by **Render** » Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:32 am

I still want to know the trick... So 1!
And I'l like them to tell Bravo they need him -> 3 first.

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Thu Dec 29, 2016 1:41 pm

I'm pretty sure the trick was counting to 10 until you've calmed down, as per my earlier suggestion of it as a way of getting him to calm down.

Just a reminder, make sure to do your research before choosing something. Get a sense of what's going on and how previous actions might affect current decisions, or you might end up making a decision you'll regret.

Right now I think our first priority is getting Brovo's oxytocin levels back up. First tell him he's needed and that his efforts are appreciated (calm him down enough to listen - a hug will also help in this case), but then remind him of the calming trick. Finally we'll be able to discuss the situation rationally.

So, option 3 (let him know he's appreciated and that his intentions are right), followed by option 6 (hug), and then option 1 (calm him down to a higher mental state) - in that order. Seeing Bravo calmed down and not arguing with Echo might also increase Charlie's mental state. Priorities first.

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:02 am

..I really hope we don't lose someone in the fast arc(?) Of the game due to mental stress.

And I'm going with Doug on this since he seems to have his priorities deadset.

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:47 am

Legotron123 wrote:In order, 4, 3, and 1.

Saturn381 wrote:I'll go with (in order) option 4, then option 2, then option 3.

HellishK9 wrote:I going with 4 and then 3

D-Rock wrote:Topic review - Case: Housepets!-A Choose Your Own Adventure Game

Douglas Collier wrote:Aye, give him a hug. Options 2 and 3. Also, let's use 6 to suggest they find work like they were discussing before dinner - maybe they can support themselves a bit.

Render wrote:I still want to know the trick... So 1!
And I'l like them to tell Bravo they need him -> 3 first.

Douglas Collier wrote:I'm pretty sure the trick was counting to 10 until you've calmed down, as per my earlier suggestion of it as a way of getting him to calm down. Just a reminder, make sure to do your research before choosing something. Get a sense of what's going on and how previous actions might affect current decisions, or you might end up making a decision you'll regret.

Right now I think our first priority is getting Brovo's oxytocin levels back up. First tell him he's needed and that his efforts are appreciated (calm him down enough to listen - a hug will also help in this case), but then remind him of the calming trick. Finally we'll be able to discuss the situation rationally.

So, option 3 (let him know he's appreciated and that his intentions are right), followed by option 6 (hug), and then option 1 (calm him down to a higher mental state) - in that order. Seeing Bravo calmed down and not arguing with Echo might also increase Charlie's mental state. Priorities first.

FancyHat wrote:..I really hope we don't lose someone in the fast arc(?) Of the game due to mental stress.

And I'm going with Doug on this since he seems to have his priorities deadset.

Uuuuuuuuh... I'm going to ASSUME I know what you guys collectively wanted to do here

. So be it, though keep in mind, I warned you about chaining too much.

--------------------------------------------------------

In frantically trying to think of the right response, Echo suddenly grabbed Bravo in hopes this solution would work.

Echo: BRAVO! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF MAN! I know no big brother of MINE would degrade into a whinny fit! You're better than this man! You're the one that's supposed to lead us into the charge, we can't have you falling apart now of all times! And besides--!

Echo: We need you too! Don't go saying things like that, we wouldn't want to lose you either. We're all in this together, and we're gonna work through it as such. We may not know what's gonna happen, but until then we have to try our best to stick together, okay?

Bravo: Ghk!-- Heh, thanks Echo... I guess you're right. I've been acting silly, I need to keep it together. I'm supposed to be your bigger brother, how should I expect you guys to feel if I'm just sitting over here panicking? Now I've gone and made a mess of things...

Echo: It's alright Bravo, we know you meant well, but ya just gotta keep that temper down!

Echo: Hey! I know! Remember that one thing we used to do? It was when...

Echo: ...it was... huh. It's on the tip of my tongue, what was it?

Bravo: Remember what? You alright man?

Echo: I'm fine, I think. I was just gonna say something, but I don't quite remember what...

Bravo: Ah, hate it when that happens, it's always at the most inconvenient times!

Echo: Yeah, it just seems so random ya know! Ah well, maybe I'll remember later. It was probably something small, but it feels important...

Bravo then walked over to Charlie and tried to console him over the issue.

Bravo: Anyway, I'm sorry for blowing up back there Charlie, I wasn't trying to be mean or anything, I was just confused. We really don't know what's gonna happen, I probably wasn't even right, but whatever it is we're all gonna be fine. I promise, if anything bad happens, I'll protect you no matter what! It's like Echo said, we're all gonna make it together, one way or another. Everything's gonna be fine, okay?

Charlie: I understand Bravo, and thank you. I'll be fine for now, you don't need to worry...

Bravo: So, you think we should go try to talk to Mom and Dad again?

Echo: I'da know, that might not be the best idea right now, they sound like they might need to think things over a bit too right now. We should all get a good nights sleep, I think we'll all be ready in the morning.

Bravo: Alright then, c'mon Charlie, let's head to bed!

Charlie: Got it, I'll be there in a sec...

The three of them head to bed, trying their best to sleep.

-----------------------

Well, there won't be a choice this time, as it's time to prepare for the final part of this chapter. This will be your test, a situation in which you need to use all the skills you learned throughout the chapter. This is the only time I will warn you in advanced about a scene until the final scene. I'm curious as to what path you will set this story into motion with.

And while I'm here, I feel i need to address the whole "Chaining and Karma" feature.
So like I said before, when you either chain too much, or begin to make incorrect chains, you will receive minor penalties throughout the game. The way I measure this is through something called "Karma". Karma is expressed in game through pink text, and will warn you when you are accumulating said karma. Depending on how much karma you have accumulated, a character will randomly slip up at any given scene. The more Karma, the higher chance of it happening at riskier scenes. You can trip on a pebble while casually walking across the sidewalk, or sneeze when you are trying to sneak around an enemy.
There are 3 ways to get rid of Karma:
1 - Stop chaining. The Karma will eventually fade away on it's own.
2 - Feel the effects of Karma. Once you're hit with Karma, it will reset to zero.
3 - Make a perfect chain. Feeling lucky? If the majority of people all agree on a chain that happens to have a really good outcome (or an intentionally really bad outcome), your Karma will fade away. However, this is not something you should try to do, you will probably gain far more Karma than lose it attempting to do this. It's better to let this happen naturally then attempting to force it.
There are also 3 levels of Karma:
1 - Uneasy - a chance of minor, harmless penalties
2 - Unlucky - a chance of minor penalties that make you look like an idiot, or make you forget non-crucial things
3 - Jinxed - a chance of minor penalties at the worst times
There will also be scenes where I don't allow you to chain at all for plot reasons. But keep in mind that just because I allow you to chain in a scene, it doesn't always mean you should. I recommend you try to coordinate your chains before you do them, if you even do them. If everyone has different chains, calculating the votes as to what to do can be a bit complicated as I have to add together every time an option is listed. If the chains are too confusing for a given scene, I'll try to just ignore them and go with the most selected choice instead to save you from stacking up on Karma instantly like you did here. This was more of just an example and a warning.

Now, if you have any questions about anything, now would be the time to ask, as the next time I update will begin the final part of the chapter.

Legotron123 · Post by **Legotron123** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:33 am

That seems like a fair way to deal with chaining.

Naro Rivers · Post by **Naro Rivers** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:52 am

I'm just sitting here laughing because I was one of the few people (if not the only person) to stop chaining when warned. Meanwhile, almost everyone else went
"MAXIMUM CHAIN!"

Also, this is bad karma, so is there a way to build good karma?

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:36 am

Naro Rivers wrote:I'm just sitting here laughing because I was one of the few people (if not the only person) to stop chaining when warned. Meanwhile, almost everyone else went
"MAXIMUM CHAIN!"
Also, this is bad karma, so is there a way to build good karma?

Yeah, I'm wondering that also about there possibly being good karma.. Afterall, Bad cannot exist without the good, without good, the bad would cause total anarchy.

Also Yeah I'm in with the Karma thing. Allows us to really know when and where is the best place to chain.

Post by **D-Rock** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:09 pm

Next issue, how about a way to see just how much karma we've built up? Unless you're doing so with different shades of pink. That way we can make judgement calls. While it's going down, maybe a situation would come up where we feel the need to chain. Like in a game with overheating turrets, you have to decide at points if you should let it cool completely or keep firing intermittently at a threat you feel needs immediate attention.

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:09 pm

Naro Rivers wrote:I'm just sitting here laughing because I was one of the few people (if not the only person) to stop chaining when warned. Meanwhile, almost everyone else went
"MAXIMUM CHAIN!"

Also, this is bad karma, so is there a way to build good karma?

Good point, it'd also be a good way to encourage balancing out the use of chaining. From now on you'll be able to accumulate "Good Karma", it will allow you to have one free chain per point, or wipe any Karma you have accumulated. You can gain Good Karma by continuously not chaining while at neutral karma, getting through a combat scene mostly well or intentionally poorly, or by doing specific actions.

D-Rock wrote:Next issue, how about a way to see just how much karma we've built up? Unless you're doing so with different shades of pink. That way we can make judgement calls. While it's going down, maybe a situation would come up where we feel the need to chain. Like in a game with overheating turrets, you have to decide at points if you should let it cool completely or keep firing intermittently at a threat you feel needs immediate attention.

FIIIIINE, I'll display your current Karma status in your case files on the first page if you really think you need it, though you do already know how much Karma you have once the pink text shows up. I already mentioned the names of the Karma levels above, the pink text says which one you have once you get it. It also tells you when it resets, both examples can be seen above. Your Good Karma count is also displayed in the case files.

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:02 pm

Well, that worked out better than I expected.

Ah well, we can remind Bravo about the trick later - in the meantime, the puppies should sleep. -w-

Post by **D-Rock** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:57 pm

Unless an improvise option appears in the next update, which is unlikely considering that this is wrapping up for now, we may not get an opportunity to remind Bravo of the stress-relieving trick, which is a huge problem. Worst comes to worst, they'll be separated next update, and they'll go through life as best they can, with Bravo NOT knowing a good way to deal with stress, and the longer it takes for a coping method to be made habit, the harder it'll be.

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:14 pm

...Not neccisarily, we just wait until the next tense moment to remind him of the trick. It ISN'T THAT big of a deal.

Post by **D-Rock** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:19 pm

Which is my fear, the longer it takes for him to develop the trick, the worse off he'll be in adulthood. Who knows when in the timeline we'll get an opportunity to remind him.

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:28 pm

....It's not that hard to do and remember the Inhale, count to ten, exhale trick. I actually think more people do that trick without even knowing it when they're angry..Though then again, he could just take his anger out on a inanity object..

Though I do suggest we keep our eyes out for tropes like Chekov's Gun and such.. And stay Genre savvy folks, it's important to remain vigilant..

SuperStar · Post by **SuperStar** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 12:31 pm

FancyHat wrote: Though I do suggest we keep our eyes out for tropes like Chekov's Gun and such.. And stay Genre savvy folks, it's important to remain vigilant.

Except it'll actually be a Chaoko's Gun,

Post by **D-Rock** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:01 am

SuperStar wrote:
FancyHat wrote: Though I do suggest we keep our eyes out for tropes like Chekov's Gun and such.. And stay Genre savvy folks, it's important to remain vigilant.
Except it'll actually be a Chaoko's Gun,

That gives me an idea!

But seriously, we do want to keep current inventory and skills in mind for future improvise options.

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:56 pm

D-Rock wrote:
SuperStar wrote:
FancyHat wrote: Though I do suggest we keep our eyes out for tropes like Chekov's Gun and such.. And stay Genre savvy folks, it's important to remain vigilant.
Except it'll actually be a Chaoko's Gun,
That gives me an idea!

But seriously, we do want to keep current inventory and skills in mind for future improvise options.

Plus stuff we DON'T yet have in our inventory...You never know what will be the Chekov/Chaoko's Gun..

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:51 am

Aww, when did we lose The Force?

Lance316 · Post by **Lance316** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:17 pm

So I'm new here and I've read what we currently have done but is it just me or does Echo seem to be more of a female than a male?

Naro Rivers · Post by **Naro Rivers** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:03 pm

Lance316 wrote:So I'm new here and I've read what we currently have done but is it just me or does Echo seem to be more of a female than a male?

What gives you that impression?