A look at progression and game loops in open-world gamebooks.
Progression in Open-World Gamebooks
In a traditional branching narrative gamebook such as Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf or ACE, you have a beginning and an an end, building up to a final finish or end point. (With the possibility of the adventure ending early through certain choices).
But with an open-world game you can go on as long as you want. So you need systems for recuperating, recording progress some sense of time passing.
One frequent one is healing. Where you rest at a safe place to restore health or wounds. This is the case in Fabled Lands, Steam Highwayman, Legendary Kingdoms and VulcanVerse.
Sometimes healing comes with something else tied to it. You'll often have a chance to store and retrieve gear. In Steam Highwayman you can repair your vehicle and in Legendary Kingdoms you can recharge spells (at the cost of money).
Other "game loops" include dying in VulcanVerse, with you coming back with a scar. Fabled Lands has a resurrection contract which brings you back for the dead (important for surviving a long time in the game).
Legendary Kingdoms also has a game mode which is a huge change in perspective. There are a few battles, where your characters are commanding troops they've hired, recruited or been loaned.
Sense of Progression
Then there are ways of seeing progress in the game. Some of these are the advancing of plots and keywords. But also the granting of Titles, Friendships (Steam Highwayman).
And others are tied to the character
Fabled Lands has you levelling up, gaining more power. Some areas which are restricted until you are a high enough level.
Steam Highwayman has you interacting with people, gaining (and losing) friendships, becoming Wanted by various factions and granted Great Deeds. Another measure is Solidarity Points, which show your status with the common people.
In Legendary Kingdoms, there's a developing relationship between the named characters, who can deepen friendships and fall in love.
In VulcanVerse you're tracking Glory. How likely others and heard of your deeds and taking that into account.
Loops and Resting
For my first game book, I'll be using Keywords, Deeds and Friendships for keeping track of your relationships with people.
But for two game loops, I'm tying a lot to Resting and also using some temporary keywords.
Resting is used for healing, but there are reasons to rest beyond healing wounds. It's a chance to tie up some of the other mechanics.
Certain effects will get checked, such as if you're Starving or Sickened. You get the chance to spend Experience Points to gain new abilities.
If you use magic, you can change what you are currently using your magic for.
Temporary Keywords
I'm also using some keywords that come and go. In Fabled Lands, there were a few of these that gave benefits to investing money. As you went to various places, you might gain or lose these conditions.
I'm using some keywords that you gain for a period of time and then they go. If you pick herbs in a certain glade, there won't be any until the code refreshes. Or maybe something is following you, but if they haven't attacked you by the time the codes refresh, they've stopped.
These keywords refresh in two ways. If you spend significant time in the story not adventuring, such as working in a mine, imprisoned or researching something for a long time. Then there are also a couple of story points, where you gain an important keyword, and this one-off time is a good time to refresh the codes.
Finishing Up
I might return to this one, as it was a challenge to articulate it in a way I'm happy with!
