Can gamebooks be fixed?
So it’s been a while since I completed parts
1 &
2 of the Problem with Gamebooks. This is partly because I have taken some time to reflect on the thought provoking comments the posts have received, but also because it’s been hard to write. The way forward isn’t clearly signposted, and it's complicated. My current ideas are a bit nebulous but I will continue to evolve and share my thinking.
Before I start…
Gamebooks in the classic mould have their merits. Maybe they aren’t broke and don’t need fixing, but the realm of interactive fiction has so much unexplored territory it would be a shame if a few of us didn’t wander off in new directions.
IMPORTANT: The concepts described here will not have universal appeal or application. They have been developed with Mysterious Path (my project) in mind. I have not written a panacea for all the perceived ills of the gamebook (sorry, maybe next time). I hope you find my elucidations interesting nonetheless.
If you can’t be bothered to read part
1 &
2 here’s a quick summary of my current position:
1. Protagonist characterisation is compromised if someone else (i.e. the reader) is in control of the characters actions and thought process.
2. True agency is impossible using a predefined decision tree system.
3. Game elements dilute the narrative experience.
Like a Spock, I have suppressed the emotional argument in favour of a more objective, logical view of the format.
So here it is. It’s a Gamebook Jim, but not as we know it…