In Issue One we did a Top Ten of great, life-changing moments in gaming. They were times when you sat back and knew – you knew – that this was going to stay with you for some time. Meeting Alyx for the first time in Half-Life 2. That first big jump in Mirror’s Edge. Most of you probably remember how to get the first magic flute in Super Mario Bros. 3. Well, I’m having one of those moments right now. I’m playing StoryTron. And it’s like nothing I’ve ever played before.

At first I had a sneaking suspicion that this was similar to an idea I’d had a while back about an online gaming repository. It frames itself as a way for players to write and share ‘interactive storytelling’, but with the emphasis on the interactive part rather than the storytelling. Whereas a lot of IF focuses on the experience and the linear story rather than how the world can change relative to the player, a Storyworld has more of an emphasis on agency, and more of a feel – though only a feel, it should be emphasised – of intelligence.

Sort of. There’s currently only one game available on the website, a demonstration of the idea by one of its creators entitled ‘Balance of Power’, which puts you in the shoes, suit and smile of President Bush on September 12th 2001. Terrorists have just done something awful to the World Trade Center, and it’s up to you to dictate policy for the Western world. Naturally, I did what any right-minded leader would do at that point. I gave a ‘HUGE’ amount of weapons to insurgents in Israel and installed what the game refers to as ‘an appropriate stooge’ to run things there for me.

No change there then! America lol, etc.

But the effect in-game was extremely odd. I’d done something which, let’s face it, is not insignificant in a game like Civilisation or Total War. And yet the consequences were entirely unclear to me here. On the left of the screen, where ‘Fate’ tells you about the results of your actions, some people told me off (to which my response, amusingly, was ‘OK’ and a picture showing the equivalent of the emoticon), and then Congress honored me ‘MODERATELY’. Which I guess is nice of them.

The game works on some strange grammar that appears to allow it to use some simple programming on the designer’s side of things to create more interesting relationships between people, organisations and places in the world. As an idea, it’s quite nice indeed, and in the right hands it could potentially create something pretty playable. But as it stands it’s missing that piece that something like this needs – it’s simply not fun, something that one of the creators of the technology admits as a worry of his on their blog.

It’s not entirely hollow – there’s a very good concept at the heart of Storytron, something that would appeal to those that have followed games such as The Political Machine or Kudos in the past. The aim of the demo game seems to be enacting your chosen policies with the minimal impact on your political standing, which generally means back-scratching and secrecy. The problem is, the game’s rules don’t really help the player in deciding between sending an emissary and sending a nuke. To some, that’s a good thing. But most will be put off.  It has potential, and it’s definitely worth a moment or two of your time, if only to smirk at the strange wording the computer is forced to use. Primarily what it needs is for people to understand how to design for it.

Anyway, after becoming The Man in the eyes of Congress, I’ve decide that my next goal will be to get North Korea to re-enter the NPT. How will I do this? Through the medium of ‘EXTRA HUGE’ airstrikes, of course. That second term in office is almost guaranteed.

Tags: Indie, Interactive Fiction, Storytron
Categories: Hype

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