Choosatron Write

Issues

Logging Issues

Note: this app is still in pre-alpha; expect a lot of bugs! Despite that, we'd love to hear about any issues you discover.

When you file an issue, please include:

• Your operating system and version of Chrome
• The branch on which you are running
• The steps taken to discover the issue
• Any error messages indicated in the DevTools console

Fixing Issues

Issues with assignees are more likely to be actively under development. If you'd like to help solve any current issues, look first for ones that haven't been assigned. Read the information about how to contribute before filing a pull request.

Dependencies

• chrome
• bower
• nodejs
• grunt

Getting Started

0. Install dependencies.
   • Install chrome
   • Install nodejs
   • npm install -g bower
   • npm install -g grunt
   • npm install -g grunt-cli [optional - puts grunt in your path]
1. git clone https://github.com/choosatron/choosatron-write
2. cd ./choosatron-write
3. npm install
4. grunt build

Handling Repository Updates

Over the course of development, there may be updates to the dependencies of the application. Any time the package.json or bower.json files are updated, you should run the following command (or always run it to be safe):

1. npm install

Installing the App

1. Choosatron Write is a Chrome Packaged App. You will need to use grunt to build the application before running it as an application.

• grunt build will create a minified version of the application.
• grunt debug will create a debuggable version of the application. This will also keep a watch for any changes you make to the files in ./source/ and re-build the application if any changes are detected.

2. Open Chrome and go to your Chrome extensions
3. Ensure that "Developer mode" is checked.
4. Click "Load unpacked extension..." and select the ./choosatron-write/build/ directory.

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Usage

Write interactive, choice-driven stories.

Passages

This is where most of your writing will go. A passage can be one or more paragraphs of content. There's no limit to how long these can be, but remember that the point of interactive fiction is to interact! It's usually best to keep a passage short so that you can get to the fun part, the choices.

Choices

These are presented after a passage. A reader's choice will determine where they are taken next. Each choice leads to a new passage. If you are writing a story for the Choosatron, you'll want to keep the length of each choice at about 30 characters or so if you want to fit it all on one line. You'll also want to limit the list to four choices.

In addition to linking a choice to a new passage, you can have two special types of choices.

Appends

Appends aren't really choices at all. An append will string together one passage with another seamlessly. Think of it like glue. When you append a passage on to another, they are stuck together. When you read a passage that has an "append," the two passages blend together. Appends are useful if you want to re-use passages multiple times without re-writing them.

Endings

When you get to a passage that is an ending, you can decide, on a scale of horrible to excellent, the quality of the ending.

Conditions

Conditions are tricky. When a reader selects a choice, you can manipulate one or more variables. This is called an "Update." Right now, you can set the variable or perform simple math: add, subtract, multiply or divide.

You can use variables to decide whether a choice displays by adding in a condition to the choice. Conditions will compare a variable's current value and only display the choice if the test is met.

What is the Choosatron?

The Choosatron is an unassuming little box that contains some amazing possibilities. It is an interactive fiction arcade machine that provides players a tangible artifact from their unique journey through one of its stories.