Story Mechanisms: creating a story profile instructions (part 3)

In the first two posts, so far I've organized the information, and I've started a story plot diagram for Story Mechanisms.



For the next tool creation, I continue with the next tools in the original planned hierarchy, the Three Conflict Chain RPG.

1.The first information generated in that book is the opening. I add sections for both opening type and specific opening out of the 36 random openings.

Next, is adding the inciting event.

Above that, I add the 1st and 2nd conflicts with the same details as the final conflict.

2. I also need room for twists and results for conflicts.

3. Mood-Emotion should have a section, which I will add down near either the setting or theme.

4. Next, I'll switch to the Deep Dive Engine.

I probably need sections under this basic structure for these.

Click on image to enlarge

Okay, looking over this structure, it looks fairly complete or good enough for now to begin using. I can change and adjust it later as it's being used if need be.

The next post in this series, I hope to begin making an example of using the Story Mechanisms book using this sheet.

Story Mechanisms: creating a story profile instructions (part 2)

Now for a Story Mechanisms instruction creation, testing, and example creation.

https://www.rpgnow.com/product/257257/Story-Mechanisms

First is the basic story structure constructed sheet.

Click on image to enlarge

This shows the basic structure of a story flow.

It shows the story beginning, middle, and end.

The slope is the rising tension up to the final conflict, the climax.

1. Flash RPG is the first book in the series. Flash RPG game adds the several fundamental story elements on to this diagram sheet: Genre, Setting, Foe, Conflict, Character, Result, and Lasting Effects are the main elements along with supporting elements.

Added the key categories from Flash Fiction to this working model for a sheet. I can change anything as needed later. Plot and Foe Gen also go with this set of information

2. Motivation is now added, I move Character down to below the Foe as I add motivation, since that the conflict area is getting crowded. It also makes more sense down there conceptually.

3. Theme is also added below character and foe. I also move Lasting Effects to below the line.

That's a beginning so far.

The next post in the series I plan on adding the two other conflicts and elements from Three Conflict RPG and other further details.

I may add another post or two from time to time not in this series. I'm thinking of doing one post for a diagram of the One-Roll Fudge RPG engine, to maybe explore an alternative look at the engine.

Fudge RPG NaGa Demon 2018, SGAM 2018, NaNoWriMo 2018!!!

Fudge RPG NaGa Demon 2018, SGAM 2018, NaNoWriMo 2018!!!

This one was really difficult, considering what I wanted to accomplish. 

I wanted to write a Fudge RPG based, solo game system, that was part adventure gamebook novel.

I've tested my gamebook system. I like the speed of character creation. I want to test the combat system more into the future. 

Certainly the system is very much influenced by my favorite game system from my teenage years. It however has the inner workings of Fudge system.

I hope to release the my fudge game system flavour, which is a 4dF one-roll-per-turn solo combat system and skill resolution today if possible.

It was quite the adventure challenge.

Story Mechanisms : creating a story profile instructions (part 1)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/257257/Story-Mechanisms

Unlike the character profile which I included as a free download for Character Mechanisms, with November's arrival and my rush to finish up several products, meant that no sheet was included in the Story Mechanisms book.

I mentioned that I might do a December series for Story Mechanisms. 

My blog challenge for December, I hope to be to (1) create a Story Profile sheet, (2) instructions, and (3) an example for Story Mechanisms.

I like to reuse material, so below I copy pasted this from part 1 of the last series.

I'll bracket [character keyword] material from the character profile and add stories keyword first and see if it makes any sense still.

Scope

So, knowing the challenge, it's time to focus on figuring out how much work will be needed.

Different types of stories [y characters]

One factor that comes to mind is that for many of my tools, I mention a different between background, minor, major, and main stories [characters].

• I should probably mention in the instructions a way to generate the different types of [characters for] stories.

Full coverage

For a main story [character], I probably need at least to fill in every category with something.

• All types of data should be covered.

Hierarchy and Prioritize

Since one piece of information isn't as important as other piece, I should figure out what is more important that the other information.

• Prioritize story [character] information.

Time Deadline

Ideally, having this done before New Years [NaNoWriMo] would be ideal. 

• Complete before January 1st 2019 [November 1st, 2018] target.

Summary of challenge

So, for a few posts I hope to create a profile sheet, instructions, and examples for using the new [character] story profile sheet for [Character] Story Mechanisms.

• for different types of stories [characters]
• covering all of the types of data
• with prioritized [character] story information
• with a goal of completing before [November] January 1st, 2019.

Amount of details for [Character] Story types: main, major, minor, background

The number of characteristics rolled may be limited by the type of [character] story. Main stories [characters] most likely are detailed with all or most of these characteristics fleshed out. Major significant and important stories [characters] might have half or more of these details revealed. Minor significant, but important stories [characters to the story] may have three to six or so of these characteristics known. Background stories [characters] focused briefly on in a scene, however that aren’t important, may have one or two characteristics observed.

I want to create a prioritized list using the text found in my product description, since I like to reuse material to speed development up. I will list the 13 [16] items, comment on some, then assign a letter based on importance.

Priorities

1. Solo Game Engine - use where needed? maybe a floating tool for examples
2. Plot Generator - an essential element of a story A
3. Twist Generator relies on other info B
4. Theme Generator - is either an A or D, I've never intentionally written a theme into a story. I'll try both ways maybe unless it doesn't work.
5. Foe Generator - important to describe a story A
6. Motivation Generator - important to reveal character goal A
7. Mood-Emotion Generator - i think mood depends on decisions made in the setting, plot, theme, and foes B
8. Flash RPG, I'll use this like I did the Character Gen, as the foundation structure of a story A
9. Modifier Generator - probably a  D or use where needed.
10. Three Conflict Chain RPG - builds the essential conflicts into a story, but relies on FRPG and plots B
11. Deep Dive Engine - relies on both FRPG & 3CCRPG C
12. Scene Action Generator - a scene level tool C
13. Transition Scene Generator - relies on FRPG, 3CCRPG, and DDE C

After ranking them, I will pile them into groups and then sort them once again. The end result will be the order that I will create the initial instructions for the [character] story profile.

Group A Important

Flash RPG

Plot Generator

Foe Generator

Motivation Generator

Theme Generator

Group B Reliant

Three Conflict Chain RPG

Twist Generator

Mood-Emotion Generator

Group C Flavor

Deep Dive Engine

Transition Scene Generator

Scene Action Generator

Group D Floaters, Use where needed

Modifier Gen

Solo Game Engine

That wasn't so hard. And it seems to make sense still.

Stay tuned for December for the first post — well, the 2nd post, since this is the part 1. I hope to make a story profile sheet first, which might take a day or maybe two (or more). 

Does dice probabitlity matter as much in my generator series matrix charts?

I wanted to write an a blog post covering probability.

I've seen this topic mentioned in many places in forums, groups, blogs, and chats.

Here is the real probability of the generator chart with the various dice.

And remember, these numbers are out of 100%, so a .69 means 0.69%. The numbers will mostly be between .5% and 2% with a couple of exceptions.

Click charts to enlarge

All four dice are around .5 to 2% chance of rolling.

What does this mean?

It means that because of the large pool of 144 items on the 12 x 12 charts, you will likely have pretty much a .5, 1, 1.5, or 2 out of 100 chance of rolling any of the items in the list.

To look at the  2 dimension 12 x 12 random matrix probability in 3 dimensions it looks like this.

I saw how most of the numbers would be just below 1% chance in all 4 dice roll types.

When I looked at the chart information in two coordinate dimensions and the probability, and saw the percentages drop drastically, then the chance of rolling the variations equalize more and became more acceptable.

The charts that look like this next one are only one dimension and one measure and do not apply to the generator matrix charts. It only applies to a single roll. Because it is one dimension, it would over inflate the significant percentage by nearly 10 times.

I actually considered Fate/Fudge dice as well, but they had to much variation in my opinion.

I hope that these visuals help explain the decision to have 4 types of dice for the same chart.

Why I give out 30% discount constantly

If you've ever bought something from me through DriveThruRPG or RPGNow, you'll quickly find out that I send a lot of 30% discounts out at every product release. It's maybe even resulted in people clicking off the email options. Sometimes, I give them out to people that only bought X product. Sometimes I give them to customers that bought bundle Y. And sometimes I give 30% to supporters that purchase products from category Z.

No one has actually ever asked me why I do this constantly.

Here's why.

15 years ago, I worked in a fairly large national chain book store. One perk of being a book seller employee was that on the first day of every month, every book that an employee bought themselves was at 30% off. I bought a lot of books on the first day of every month back then, more than any other day of the month.

When I started making PDF books and products, I thought it would be cool to somehow give something like that to supporting customers especially those customers that always are staying up with my latest publications.

Hence, every release I try to send out at least to one group of customers 30% off of the product. I don't need to do this, but that is why I give them out like candy. Because 15 years ago I worked in a discount giving book store.

Day off to set up, reflect, plan, and evaluate.

Today I took time to try to set things up instead of writing.

A lot of time was spent researching decisions making, creativity techniques, and strategies to help with future writing.

Since this month so far I haven't released any new stuff created this month, I did release prior products and created new mixes and bundles.

It began with the release of 5e x 5 Fantasy Weapons & Armor II

https://www.rpgnow.com/product/201146/5e-x-5-Fantasy-Weapons--Armor-II
This is a book I made that served as a prize for 5ex5 Ezine #1 contributions. It has 100 total items including Asian weapons (ex katana, nunchaku), armor, some new clothing, and tools from PRD primarily that weren't in the original 5e x 5 Equipment & Treasures. I actually forgot about it until I was looking through my catalogue of stuff.

Premium 3 in one Flash RPG, Three Conflict RPG, and Deep Dive Engine

I think these three go well together and compliment each other.
https://www.rpgnow.com/product/257894/Premium-Flash-RPG-Three-Conflict-RPG--Deep-Dive-Engine-allinone

RPG Tools 6 bundle

https://www.rpgnow.com/product/258400/RPG-Tools-6-BUNDLE
Includes Character Flaw Generator, Deep Dive Engine, Scene Action Generator, Three Conflict Chain RPG, and Transition Scene Generator tools.

Elvish and Fairy Language bundle

I've been working with these languages a few years now. More languages are in my notes.
https://www.rpgnow.com/product/258581/Aioskoru-Elvish--Fairy-Languages-BUNDLE

Setting All-in-one

This was made to prepare for another possible book and to make the bundle more attractive.

https://www.rpgnow.com/product/258938/Setting-AllInOne

Parallel Open Gaming Systems Bundle

This is the three available open system books that focus on skill names, weapon damage, and armor values.
https://www.rpgnow.com/product/258981/Parallel-Open-Gaming-Systems--Skills--Fighting-Gear-BUNDLE

5e x 5 Deluxe Core bundle

This creates a 5 core + 1 more fantasy weapons with the monster art version of the Monster book. With Modern sometime early next year, hopefully this will do for the time being. I did mention that 2 new races for Modern of 8 new races, two will be from future (human & grey). I actually finished one race first draft today, worked on another, and mostly finished a third wont name yet. 5e x 5 people received an email naming two of the three. So that is about four and a half complete races or near complete.
https://www.rpgnow.com/product/259037/5e-x-5-Deluxe-Fantasy-Core--BUNDLE

Back to writing tomorrow. I'm past halfway and nearly on target for the first draft.