#also keep in mind that ChoiceScript doesn't have any pretty customisation options

[leftski-if]

Hi!! I'm in the works of making an IF and I'm struggling with twine, so I'm looking at the possibility of making a choicescript game but just posting the demo on Tumblr and not advertising/publishing through cog and it seems like that's what you're doing if I'm not wrong?

Do you think it's a good idea? And how do you find coding with choicescript?

Sorry if this is a weird thing to ask you're just one of the only IF authors I follow who isn't using twine lol, I hope you're having a good day!!

Hello! Congratulations on the game!

I don't think it's weird at all; I'll do my best to answer what I can ^^

That is indeed what I'm doing! My game(s?) are just something I'm making for fun, so I post the WIPs to Dashingdon and I'll share the links and answer questions here, but I have no presence on the CoG forums (or anywhere else IF-related, really; I’m kind of a hermit).

For me, it works great! I've never had any intention of publishing my works or seeking revenue from them, so this setup is ideal and very casual. I know this sort of approach doesn't appeal to everyone for a number of (very understandable) reasons, and I don’t think I can tell you if it’s the right one for you, but it definitely feels right for me.

I have no experience with Twine so I can't really compare the two, but I personally love coding in Choicescript. I was able to pick it up pretty quickly and I find it really straightforward and simple to work with, especially because I use CSIDE (The ChoiceScript IDE) which is software that highlights the code in different colours, points out errors, and keeps things very organised (a dream come true for my ADHD brain).

That being said, I know there are a lot of resources out there that provide templates and tutorials on coding with Twine, and I’ve also heard that it’s really nice to work with once you get past that initial hurdle, so depending on what it is you’re struggling with, there might be some resources out there that can help you!

Even just searching “twine coding” here on Tumblr returned a lot of tips and masterlists that seemed like they could be great places to start, although with no knowledge of the program or your issues with it, I’m unfortunately not sure which ones would be helpful to link. I would definitely recommend checking them out yourself though, if you decide Twine is the way to go after all.

So yeah, I think that’s about all I can say? I’m sorry I don’t have any concrete answers for you, but I think it ultimately comes down to your personal preferences/goals for your project. Do you value ease of access over versatility, or is it perhaps worth dedicating more time upfront to learning the program to then have more freedom later on? Is there a chance you might want to use your game as a source of revenue someday?

I hope that this helps make the decision a little easier, or at least gives you some things to think about. Best of luck with your IF, whatever your choice, and I hope you’re having a good day, too ^^