#if community

[larkingame]

hi :) my video about how toxic the coding community can be online is up and ready to go! i worked really hard on it so I hope you give it a watch!

also, i've attached it i the description, but if you're looking to learn to code, or develop a text-based game, I've compiled this list of resources here!

[aokotorigames]

Songbird Editor officially out of beta!

The time has finally come where Songbird Editor is complete and out of beta. Update 1.0 marks the official release of the completed editor and completion of the roadmap I set for myself.

Does this mean there will be no more updates to Songbird? No, it only means that everything I wanted to do is complete plus some stuff that was suggested by all of you who contributed during the alpha and beta testing. There will be more updates mainly related to bugfixes and smoothing some still rough edges, but they'll be rarer and smaller unless some big feature gets requested (custom Songbird versions maybe?).

The sale is still in effect so if you want to make a 1$ short story for itch or something like that there's time till the end of the month, possibly to be extended if something cool shows that might just not make it in time.

Anyway enough rambling you can download the complete editor and check out the latest patch notes here: https://www.aokotorigames.com/download

Have a creative week everyone!

[girlfromthecrypt]

Me at my mutuals:

tEll me wHeRe yOu live I'll sEnd FloWers 💐

But seriously I've been getting a lot of support, so thank you, I rly needed the encouragement since starting out with my IF had me very nervous at first.

Also, to the lovely anon who wrote this really kind ask complimenting my writing: the only reason I haven't posted an answer is bc I want to keep your message sitting in my inbox so in case I ever get a negative one, yours will be right below to cheer me up.

[hecatine-writer]

Okay I know this may come off as bitchy but every time I see a historical or fantasy IF steeped with political intrigues and "lords" and "ladies" in their early twenties I want to scream. While sure sometimes people came to lead their family at young ages due to deaths, usually that wouldn't happen until later in life. Let me make a parallel to the real word yeah? In the US to be able to run for President you have to be at least 35 years old. In old Roman society men weren't seen as "real" men until they were in their 30s. I think the same is true of many societies. "Boy king" is only ever an insult. So why the fuck do I see countless IFs with people at the top of their careers at the age of 20. Oh yeah you're a neurosurgeon at 20 years old. Did you start university at the age of 8? There's no versimilitude here, how the fuck can I suspend disbelief when so many authors refuse to at least reflect reality with their writing?

(also I'd like to add, people do not have their shit together until their mid to late 20s and that's if they're lucky, i'm 28 and it's DIRE!)

[asgodsfall-if]

As Gods Fall - Now on Tumblr!

In a dying world of magic and steel a god has been murdered. And it’s your job to find the murderer.

You are a Peacekeeper: an officer of the law upholding order in the last city of a dying world. Along with a new partner it is your job to find the one responsible for murdering a being once considered eternal. Become part of a unique modern fantasy world shaped by over a thousand years of history and uncover parts of it never before seen by mortal eyes.

Gameplay and features:

Play as one of 5 distinct races, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Pick between smart and resourceful humans, physically unstoppable werewolves, graceful and kind fairies, elementally potent demons or shapeshifting formis.

Customize and build your character. From their looks through their skills and attributes to their personality.

Approach problems with brute force, swift hand, sharp mind or quick tongue using an attribute based stat system.

Take advantage of a unique active ability system to overcome challenges.

Investigate crime scenes, interrogate witnesses, discover the city’s secrets and sins of its creators.

Experience a city on the brink of collapse and help control the panic, or add fuel to the fire.

Find rivalries, friendships and romance as you embark on 4 unique character journeys.

Find a way to stop the ongoing apocalypse or let the decay finish its job.

The world:

The world of Etr was always driven forth by conflict. Be it the wars of its first era, the technological race of the second, or the fight for survival in its current era. Once a land full of life and wonders, it is now plagued by an unstoppable force that is the decay as it ravages all in its path. The only place safe from it: Citadel City is a boiling pot of those that remain. Full of life and dangers as the last representatives of surviving races try to live together despite centuries of bad blood between some of them. A city where magic of old coexists alongside the cold steel and concrete of modern technology.

Companions:

Coren Ashver: Coren’s life was always an uphill battle. As a demi born of human and demon parents he was always an outcast. Wishing to follow in his dead father’s footsteps he joined the force and eventually signed up for an experimental enhancement program before becoming your new partner.

Erinwehulda Drakebraid (Eri): Erinwehulda’s the smartest forensic your precinct has. Seen as eccentric by most of your colleagues she prefers to stick to herself and her inventions. Now it’s your turn to get past the aloofness and work with her as you tackle the big case.

Mesar Nemo: Mesar’s the definition of a free spirit. A werewolf born into royalty and set to take over the clan in a few years. There’s a lot resting on his shoulders which he learned to push aside by chasing the rush of adrenaline. Now that his patron deity is gone will he step up to fill the hole?

Paoni Crowelo: To Paoni information is power and a tool used to maintain balance in a world gone mad. She sees herself as a caretaker of the city and its people and as the city’s biggest information broker there is nothing that goes by her. What secrets will her intel uncover as she aids you in your case?

You can play the publicly available demo consisting of the prologue and 3 chapters (~88.5k words) here: https://moody.ink/play/cavus-rex/as-gods-fall/mygame/index.php

For a more direct line of contact you can join the official discord server where it's easier for me to organize feedback and bug reports: https://discord.gg/Dv6HtKVYSd

Also if you want to support the project and receive perks like access to patron only chats, early access to new chapters and exclusive filler stories (none available right now) you can join the Patreon, or support me through Ko-fi: https://www.patreon.com/cavusrex https://ko-fi.com/cavusrex

[wanted-game-if]

don’t you love it when you’re writing a MC that wakes up in the middle of nowhere not remembering anything and wearing a mask, they see seemingly can’t take off gah im so excited to share everything this project is like my own child

i’m thinking of eventually adding an option where you or someone else draws/paint something onto your mask (if I do decide to do it where someone else is doing it will probably be an RO) because I’m pretty sure I’m gonna make the mask either white ,black or a soft gray probably not going to give the option of which color, so I’ll just have to decide on one (I am very indecisive lol)



[albywritesfiction]

Very sad, I've been around for ages in the IF community and the bullying has gotten extremely bad. I don't know if it's just gotten since more people are now interacting or maybe they were just quieter before but, I think people forget that there are human beings on the other side. Sorry to hear for your friend :(

“there are human beings on the other side”

This. This is exactly what we all should remember during online interactions.

It’s fine if someone’s work isn’t your cup of tea; everyone has the right to their own opinion. But having a negative opinion isn’t the issue here.

The issue is that some people are rude in their criticism, and some others don’t even provide any sort of criticism, just straight up vitriol.

I am very thankful that the people I have interacted with so far are kind and respectful people such as yourself, Anon. I just wish that more people remembered to be kind and respectful as well.

[sinners-if]

Something I'd like the other authors and creators in the if community to do is include a characters romantic and sexual orientation to their description. Even if its "just" allosexual or alloromantic. Too many people ask me what those terms mean, and I think it would bring more awareness.

[bakanekiprice]

🌿Surprise new make up test,i tried mason from the wayhaven chronicles by @seraphinitegames 🌿 i'm quite happy with the make up but i hope some fellow twc fans see this because at ig it will go down sadly and i want to connect with more fans from it🥲

[kingsdespair-if]

Discord server!

Hello, dear.

Just wanted to let you know that @dragonedged-if and I have created a Discord server for those who are interested in joining us.

In this server, we'll be chatting and sharing content related to our IFs. Feel free to ask us questions, engage in discussions, listen to music, and simply chill out.

We also want to extend a warm welcome to other writers out there.

If you're a writer, don't hesitate to join us as well. We'd love to have you!

Don't be shy, come and join us!

Let's be friends? 💜

DISCORD SERVER LINK -> https://discord.gg/PwWTmNr9

Or simply click HERE.

I can't wait to see you there. 😉

[trashy-corvian]

Ah yes, my favorite fantasy races: elves, dwarfs, tieflings -squints eyes- black people

OR author made a semi magical world with magic, gods and supernatural but adding dark skinned people would be too unrealistic

"I still feel guilty about this😭" i'll fling you into the sun bitch. Realism is the last of your problems

[larkingame]

Asking here because you are a relatively established author within this community, and I'm curious what you + others think but don't want to spam multiple authors' inboxes with this question. Additionally, this isn't bait, just a genuine question I've been ruminating over for some time now. As an author, do you feel female/non-binary ROs get less positive attention than male ROs? Do you feel they're more likely to be ignored outright by readers or even receive more vitriolic hate? To be clear, this includes gender-selectable ROs, where their female/non-binary versions get ignored/more hate than their male versions. I put female ROs/non-binary ROs in the same category here even though they're different genders because I'm mostly curious as to whether or not you think there's positive male bias in the readership of the IF community. I ask because, as a long-term reader and community member, I've noticed consistently that male ROs are favored by fellow readers. Overall, male ROs get more asks, more positive asks, and thus more attention from authors. I've seen a repeating pattern where readers will default to using the author's set male pronouns for a gender selectable RO when sending in an ask, even if the ask isn't related to the male version of that RO.

On the flip side, it seems like female characters are way more likely to be ignored (asks are simply not sent in about them) or downright hated. I've seen truly vitriolic hate sent in about female ROs to IF authors like I've never seen for male ROs, or at least on the same scale. That's not even *touching* the absolute disrespect and transphobia I've seen towards non-binary characters before, such as Clementine from The Northern Passage (I mention that character as a specific example here- but I don't want to bring this discussion to that author's doorstep because I've noted a particularly high number of bad-faith individuals tend to harass them). This pattern exists for fanart, too- especially for gender selectable ROs, the male version seems to exist as a "default" for many fan artists.

I bring this lengthy ask to you, instead of making my own post, because I was curious to get an author's perspective on this. As a reader it's a repeated pattern I've noticed time and time again, especially the bigger IFs get, but I was wondering if a 'behind the scenes' perspective might have anything else to add.

Feel free to ignore this if you'd like! Overall I am just curious as to whether or not other people see this pattern.

No, I think you're absolutely correct in this. I definitely think that there is something of a bias within the IF community that leans towards Male / Masc Presenting ROs. But this of course is speaking purely from my own perspective of working on my own IFs and playing a handful of others.

Speaking from Larkin's perspective--it's no secret that my male characters get a lot more attention from readers than any of my female or nb characters. But, the thing here is, I think, even in traditional media, (movies, books, video-games) that's also something of a trend, so while it's disheartening and disappointing, it's unfortunately, not surprising.

I do certainly agree that there is a lot of issues within the IF community concerning how characters with marginalized identies are treated. (whether that be through misgendering in conversation, white-washing or the plethora of downright vitriol and hatred spewed at characters and authors alike.) These are all issues that I've taken notice of just as someone who's experience within this community has been relatively tame compared to some of my fellow authors.

But as someone who's both white and cis gendered I don't really think that it's appropriate for me to wax-poetic about the issues faced in the community by people who identify otherwise, especially when we're a community filled with plenty of talented and diverse creators who can all speak on this better than I can.

What I can speak on however is my experience as a queer female author, writing queer female characters. When I started writing my games I wrote them primarily from a perspective of wanting to write a game that A) I'd want to play and B) one that had things that I saw were lacking in other games. Whether that be through mechanics, relationship dynamics and characters.

While it isn't explicitly clear just yet because of the point in development I'm at, I write my female love interests from a more saphhic perspective with female and non-binary identifying main characters in mind. It's something that I've slowly come to realize throughout the process of working on my project, as I've come to terms with my own identity. Rose, Celina, NB! Ace, and F! Hollis (and a few other characters that have yet to be introduced properly but identify with the labels of female or non-binary) are all characters that I hold near and dear to my heart, and have all helped me realize things about myself as I'm writing. So while I love all of my characters equally, it is, like I mentioned, a little sad to see the male characters favored--but not something that I wasn't expecting going into writing my game.

Thank you for sending me in this ask and sharing your thoughts and indulging me in mine!

[mogalas]

CoAaF: problematic? Perchance

Disclaimer: Don't harass or go after the creator or their fans.

This post doesn't give you free reign to shower hateful comments over anyone in the CoAaF fandom, and especially not at the creator. The presentation was not created by myself but I am posting on behalf of a friend.

I disavow any attempts to attack anyone over the topics brought up in the following presentation. My issues with the above piece of media doesn't give anyone the right to be a dick about it to others who still wish to be part of that fandom.

As stated in the presentation, any harassment of the author or their fans is not condoned. The issues with the WiP at present have led to the creation of the presentation to make it a more digestible piece of critique. The point of the presentation is to highlight the flaws for their problematic nature. No one is justified in thinking that CoAaF, or any work for that matter, has to be exactly for them, but the issues at hand are more than just subjective taste.

I thank you for taking the time to read this and please share so as many people as possible can make an informed decision regarding the issues raised.

[aokotorigames]

Songbird Editor beta available now for free!

They day is finally here and as of a few minutes ago Songbird Editor is available for free to anyone interested in trying out a new tool for creating IF games. The tool is designed with versatility and ease of use in mind and will hopefully open up a new world of possibilities to people who find existing systems too complicated or unfriendly to get into. You can download the open beta now over here: https://www.aokotorigames.com The tool is completely free to use for all non commercial purposes so give it a try and remember to share your work!

I'd like to thank everyone for the support in getting the project to this point and hope for your continued interest in the project. If you do find it interesting enough that you would want to support its further development as a new way of creating IF content you can always send me a few cents through Patreon or Ko-fi. Even doing as little as sharing the project to people who you think would find it useful goes a long way.

[hecatine-writer]

a few days ago i joked about IFs with 9-12 ROs and i just saw one with 15. Y'all i'm begging folk to pace themselves. That's just too much.

[wanted-game-if]

How did the people figure out how mc drinks water?

This happens in like the first few bits of the game but basically when offered a canteen of water MC instinctually just pours it on to their neck and instead of it like dripping down or off of them, it goes into their skin and the people who are there witnesses it and are like

WTF

Word gets around camp about it and everyone eventually witnesses it at dinner and are probably horrified, or curious

now if random towns people were to see MC doing this at a saloon they would be horrified and try and burn him at the stake or something like that

so boss advises mc not to “drink” when they are out

Once the game is out, you’ll get to see the reactions to it better