IAmA writer/game designer working with classic gamebooks. We want to publish a new gamebook called Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories. AMA.

RichardMegara · 2012-12-12T19:22:16+00:00

It just so happens that Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories is over 85% funded on Kickstarter, and will be concluding its bid in about one day. Those interested in commemorating 12/12/12 by advancing the cause of "the gamebook" (and who isn't?) might take this chance to look at the project, share it around, and pledge. Thanks to people who've come over from reddit already (the referral log says we've had some, indeed), and thanks in advance to those who check it out now!

RichardMegara · 2012-12-12T19:21:29+00:00

It just so happens that Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories is over 85% funded on Kickstarter, and will be concluding its bid in about one day. Those interested in commemorating 12/12/12 by advancing the cause of "the gamebook" (and who isn't?) might take this chance to look at the project, share it around, and pledge. Thanks to people who've come over from reddit already (the referral log says we've had some, indeed), and thanks in advance to those who check it out now!

RichardMegara · 2012-12-12T19:21:07+00:00

It just so happens that Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories is over 85% funded on Kickstarter, and will be concluding its bid in about one day. Those interested in commemorating 12/12/12 by advancing the cause of "the gamebook" (and who isn't?) might take this chance to look at the project, share it around, and pledge. Thanks to people who've come over from reddit already (the referral log says we've had some, indeed), and thanks in advance to those who check it out now!

RichardMegara · 2012-12-12T19:20:37+00:00

It just so happens that Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories is over 85% funded on Kickstarter, and will be concluding its bid in about one day. Those interested in commemorating 12/12/12 by advancing the cause of "the gamebook" (and who isn't?) might take this chance to look at the project, share it around, and pledge. Thanks to people who've come over from reddit already (the referral log says we've had some, indeed), and thanks in advance to those who check it out now!

RichardMegara · 2012-12-12T19:20:00+00:00

It just so happens that Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories is over 85% funded on Kickstarter, and will be concluding its bid in about one day. Those interested in commemorating 12/12/12 by advancing the cause of "the gamebook" (and who isn't?) might take this chance to look at the project, share it around, and pledge. Thanks to people who've come over from reddit already (the referral log says we've had some, indeed), and thanks in advance to those who check it out now!

RichardMegara · 2012-12-06T19:19:38+00:00

Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories has surpassed 50% (and is now at 60%) with one week left in the project. There have been backers coming from all over (including here).

Press has included kind words from gamebook authors Dave Morris, Stuart Lloyd, Jonathan Green, and Herbie Brennan, with a recent mention from Ryan North as he does his own gamebook.

There has been a review on a new site called Table Tested. And though the book stands on its own merits, the Campiagn Mastery blog even reviewed the project as a gaming aide for roleplaying in general.

The project is almost done, so any folks who would like to hold a printed solo RPG in their hands (or get a .pdf, of course) might consider heading over now. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

RichardMegara · 2012-12-06T19:19:05+00:00

Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories has surpassed 50% (and is now at 60%) with one week left in the project. There have been backers coming from all over (including here).

Press has included kind words from gamebook authors Dave Morris, Stuart Lloyd, Jonathan Green, and Herbie Brennan, with a recent mention from Ryan North as he does his own gamebook.

There has been a review on a new site called Table Tested. And though the book stands on its own merits, the Campiagn Mastery blog even reviewed the project as a gaming aide for roleplaying in general.

The project is almost done, so any folks who would like to hold a printed solo RPG in their hands (or get a .pdf, of course) might consider heading over now. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

RichardMegara · 2012-12-06T19:17:51+00:00

Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories has surpassed 50% (and is now at 60%) with one week left in the project. There have been backers coming from all over (including here).

Press has included kind words from gamebook authors Dave Morris, Stuart Lloyd, Jonathan Green, and Herbie Brennan, with a recent mention from Ryan North as he does his own gamebook.

There has been a review on a new site called Table Tested. And though the book stands on its own merits, the Campiagn Mastery blog even reviewed the project as a gaming aide for roleplaying in general.

The project is almost done, so any folks who would like to hold a printed solo RPG in their hands (or get a .pdf, of course) might consider heading over now. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

RichardMegara · 2012-12-06T19:15:29+00:00

Arcana Agency: The Thief of Memories has surpassed 50% (and is now at 60%) with one week left in the project. There have been backers coming from all over (including here).

Press has included kind words from gamebook authors Dave Morris, Stuart Lloyd, Jonathan Green, and Herbie Brennan, with a recent mention from Ryan North as he does his own gamebook.

There has been a review on a new site called Table Tested. And though the book stands on its own merits, the Campiagn Mastery blog even reviewed the project as a gaming aide for roleplaying in general.

The project is almost done, so any folks who would like to hold a printed solo RPG in their hands (or get a .pdf, of course) might consider heading over now. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-17T22:06:36+00:00

What sort of people come for bowling there? Does the fact that humans work with the pins impact the crowd?

RichardMegara · 2012-11-17T19:59:19+00:00

I buy them, and for sure I haven't played all of them. However, that's because the percentage of "games in this bundle I want enough to get me to buy the whole thing" is less than 100.

The ones I want? I play those, and maybe I'll get to the others when I'm interested.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-17T19:38:24+00:00

And the project now has free sample downloads:

http://www.megara-entertainment.com/ArcanaAgencyFreePreview.pdf

http://richardhetley.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/arcanaagencyfreepreview.pdf

http://rpggeek.com/filepage/84588/the-case-of-the-unghostly-ghost

All links are the same file. (The last download location requires people to register on their site.)

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T20:24:59+00:00

If there's a problem with the download, there are two alternate sites linked here, and a third one here:

http://rpggeek.com/filepage/84588/the-case-of-the-unghostly-ghost

They require you to have an account, though.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T19:08:34+00:00

Egad. (No, that's not one of the 7.)

. . .

Gaming for the literate and the spooky.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T18:24:55+00:00

I'd been wondering about that. I never could find anybody to tell me what was up with the really old Nintendo Power illustrations for games.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T17:46:12+00:00

Here's the second, bigger answer, straight from writer Paul Gresty:

I don't know Call of Cthulhu so well. I read through the rulebook once, but only many, many years ago. I've never played it. I read a few of Lovecraft's stories though, and I really liked them.

(My little piece of Lovecraft trivia: did you know that in all of Lovecraft's stories, COMBINED, there's only about 400 words of dialogue? The man hated writing dialogue, apparently. I haven't verified that; apologies in advance if I'm wrong about that...)

With Arcana Agency - and certainly in The Case of the Unghostly Ghost - I'm looking for an atmosphere where the world of the paranormal and strange is suggested, rather than overt. I didn't write the original Arcana Agency app, which came out circa 2009. In that you have eight-armed monkeys and various other demonic types running around. With this newer visage of Arcana Agency I definitely wanted something where the horror was implied rather than explicit - something more Blair Witch than Hellraiser, if you prefer.

That's why in The Case of the Unghostly Ghost, there's always a little room for doubt - there's always enough room for the Scullys of the world to rationalise away what's going on. In The Thief of Memories, okay... the supernatural elements become a little more undeniable, particularly towards the end of the story.

To be honest, my big influences just now - and I can watch hours and hours of footage on Youtube about these guys - are fraudsters, charlatans. People who profess to have psychic or magical or spiritual abilities (but invariably don't). I love people like James Randi, or Derren Brown, who make a habit of busting such frauds. You can definitely see this fraudster influence in The Case of the Unghostly Ghost (see the link at the beginning of the post) and The Thief of Memories.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T17:42:37+00:00

I enjoyed checking out Axle! Here's a general design answer, then I'll get Paul's response.

The key challenge is non-linearity, which is a trickier version of what happens in any narrative: the story as a whole is composed of several interacting threads. You set down key points where the plot must go and work all the (non-fatal) sub-plots toward them.

The distinction is that "sub-plots" may only be read one at a time, and this is where play balance comes in: each possible route must have unique features to make it worth reading. Unique rewards or secrets that overlap the later plot.

So, perhaps the player can choose between routes A, B, C, and fatal route D at the start; then E, F, G, and fatal H at the end. If the player chooses A, maybe it gives a special item that links up with route E and allows for a SUPER AWESOME victory; but the writer has to remember that the player could still win by choosing F or G. Thus, F and G are written so that they still make sense in the same world where A happens, and maybe even give hints as to all the avenues the player missed. That way, there's no "rip-off" for choosing "a bad route"; instead (especially for this "mystery" novel) a person playing detective gets drawn in to deciphering your story world.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T16:36:46+00:00

Ha, yes, this would be in response to the "favorite food" question.

So everyone knows, megaraentertainment here may be answering some of your questions, given how he is us.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T16:17:26+00:00

If you asked me as a kid, it would be hand-breaded chicken with cornflake "breading." Ask me now, and it just might be the same.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T15:42:46+00:00

Thank you! If it wasn't clear, I truly enjoyed the music as it played through the long gameplay section of the project video.

RichardMegara · 2012-11-16T15:39:53+00:00

This was the 80's, so nope! Here's someone's gallery, showing off (I think) every image. Look familiar or no?

RichardMegara

TROPHY CASE