This is just a thing that's sort of minorly bugged/interested me for a while - probably since I started CHYOO writing, and I was just wondering what other peoples opinions on this subject were.
Basically, what I'm calling a "Character Choice" is something the "viewpoint" character in the story could decide. That is - assuming a first person story -
*Do you open the door?
*Do you kiss the cross-eyed goth or give oral to the spotty redhead?
*Do you throw the banana out of the window or sodomize the one-legged cheerleader with it?
These are things that the character the reader is playing in the story has a choic eover, and can decide - the same way you can decide to make Mario run left or right, or what your character does in a traditional CYOA or role playing game.
"Story Choices" are when the reader is given the option to effect the path of the story in ways their character couldn't.
*Does someone open the door?
*Does the cross-eyed goth kiss you or slap the spotty redhead?
*Do you throw the banana out of the window, or does Paris Hilton suddenly enter the room and demand it from you?
These are choices that the character the player is role playing as could *not* effect, unless they have some kind of mind control or reality warping powers.
Now, there's nothing wrong with either sort of option - though erotic CYOA's are the only place I've seen the latter, which is interesting - but does it bug anyone else when they're mixed in a story? I tend to let it slide when an option suggested to my story has one of the latter when I've been using only the former, and I've used the latter myself on occasion, but it *bugs* me, man. I think it's the difference between a story being a sort of "game" or role playing experience, and a kind of shared round robin narrative.
Just trying to get a little debate going, cause I'm curious on other peoples feelings on this one and I've never seen it discussed here, really.
Basically, what I'm calling a "Character Choice" is something the "viewpoint" character in the story could decide. That is - assuming a first person story -
*Do you open the door?
*Do you kiss the cross-eyed goth or give oral to the spotty redhead?
*Do you throw the banana out of the window or sodomize the one-legged cheerleader with it?
These are things that the character the reader is playing in the story has a choic eover, and can decide - the same way you can decide to make Mario run left or right, or what your character does in a traditional CYOA or role playing game.
"Story Choices" are when the reader is given the option to effect the path of the story in ways their character couldn't.
*Does someone open the door?
*Does the cross-eyed goth kiss you or slap the spotty redhead?
*Do you throw the banana out of the window, or does Paris Hilton suddenly enter the room and demand it from you?
These are choices that the character the player is role playing as could *not* effect, unless they have some kind of mind control or reality warping powers.
Now, there's nothing wrong with either sort of option - though erotic CYOA's are the only place I've seen the latter, which is interesting - but does it bug anyone else when they're mixed in a story? I tend to let it slide when an option suggested to my story has one of the latter when I've been using only the former, and I've used the latter myself on occasion, but it *bugs* me, man. I think it's the difference between a story being a sort of "game" or role playing experience, and a kind of shared round robin narrative.
Just trying to get a little debate going, cause I'm curious on other peoples feelings on this one and I've never seen it discussed here, really.