Hi neophyte.
To be honest "as a visually impared person" doesn't particularly apply here
if the books are accessible. Obviously I prefer them not to have graphics or
graphical puzles, and equally obviously it's good for me to get them online
rather than in an inaccessible print form (I've contacted the publishers of
the ff series sinse they seem to be producing versions for Iphone,
suggesting that they might sell accessible pc versions, but sadly I got no
response, and sinse I on't have an Iphone myself I can't say whether
gamebook projects released for it are accessible with th aple synth voice
over or not).
As a fan however, I do have thoughts.
my first, is that obviously good writing is manifestly helpful. I've seen
several sites which offer online creation of Cyoa type affairs, but all of
the ones I checked seemed to be written by a ten year old (and often a dirty
minded one at that).
So that's obviously the first concern (this is one thing i really love about
the Chronicles of arborell, the writing is superb).
Then there is probably the most often mentioned factor of gamebooks, random
death. A gamebook (such as house of horror on the ff project site), where
fairly inocuous choices can get your character killed and the only way
through is basic trial and error frequently leaves you with a sense of
unfairness.
I'm not saying random death shouldn't occur, only that it would be helpful
to have at least some hint in the text, or some method of saving yourself
via a stat roll or use of ability, not just "woopse, didn't we tell you that
taking the right hand passage lead to a giant invisible crushing wrecking
ball of death!"
getting on to abilities, obviously it is not possible to feature a hugely
long combat and stats system in a gamebook, however there should be things
you as a character can do to influence stats, rather than just be forced to
take whatever you roll at the beginning and live with it.
lone wolf for instance has the Kai skills systems (which has also been
mirrored in Arborell), where taking certain skills allows you to avoid
combats, ---- for instance by using your archery skill to shoot the guards
from a distance, or using your hunting skill to head around the advancing
guard patrol.
Like wise, while it's not really possible to have a really complex and
interesting stats system in a gamebook, combats should at least have some
nice scriptions for winning or losing (the chronicles of arborell does this
very well).
i also dislike books which simply stick in statistically hard fights for the
sake of it which you as a player cannot alter.
While having a chance of death in battle is fine, being suddenly attacked by
something which is amazingly tougher than you and cannot physically be
killed due to the high stats against you (as indeed happened in some of the
lw books), is simply unfair.
I actually did have a plan for a gamebook, but I've yet to get to the point
of writing it, ---- too many other things on hand unfortunately.
I hope you have fun with these.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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