Some tips before publishing a gamebook

Publicado el 30/05/2020

List of things to review before publishing a gamebook:

Do not leave nodes (pages) without connection to other nodes

In other words, every page you write must lead to another page, another chapter, or it must be a death or end page.

If you are in the middle of writing the gamebook but want to publish it to get feedback from people (very interesting thing), I recommend that the pages that you have not finished making them to be final destination pages. In this way, people can enter a comment evaluating your application. I have seen enough published games that have a lot of quality and that you have not put that page. Too bad, as you lose the chance that readers will comment on your gamebook publicly.

Set character options (only RPG)

In the case of RPGs, the reader may (or may not) configure their character. Make sure you want them to be able to set up their own character. Maybe reading your gamebook only makes sense if the character is a boy or a girl. Or only if he is a warrior. You can configure this in the options of the gamebook (Character Options section).

Do you want to receive feedback from your gamebook?

Configure the options in the Publication Management section. There you can configure if you want the readers to be able to send you private messages, and the reward in coins (only RPG) that you want to give them by answering them (if you want to give them any reward).

Introduce music in each chapter

It helps a lot to get into reading. You can set different music for battles than narration. The music of the battles you configure in the options of the gamebook. The music of the narration is configured in the options of each chapter. You can find many free sounds on different internet web pages like: https://www.elongsound.com, http://www.sshhtt.com, etc. You have a list in the next post: https://agenciaseomarketingonline.es/blog/bancos-de-sonido-gratis-y-musica-sin-copyright/

Do you want to hide options? (only RPG)

By default, they are all enabled. But in some cases, you may not want the option of maps, or inventory, or coins, etc. Or maybe, instead of coins you want to put the word euros. Give it a review that makes up for it. These options are within the options of the gamebook in the Other Options section.

Read the gamebook a few times

You can read the gamebook without having to have it published. I just added the direct link to reading in the gamebook list in the user’s private area.

Review the summary

Surely, when you started writing the gamebook you did not know why you would go. It is not a bad idea to recheck the gamebook description and chapter summary. Since you wrote them when you created the gamebook, you may not even remember it.

Programming the new role-playing book reading panel

Publicado el 8/05/2020

I’ve been programming a new reading panel for a few months.

This panel will use a different technology than the current one. It will not depend so much on the server since the panel will be contained within the app of each user.

Although it will continue to depend on the server of bookgame.me to play, only the server will be checked for these tasks: start a new chapter, save the character status, see announcements and get rewards, payments within the gamebooks, image download and some more things.

This avoids having to consult the server every time you turn the page, or battle against an enemy.

Therefore, some advantages are:

1. It will be more agile, the page-turning will be instantaneous, the same as the battles.
2. Less data consumption, since it will only connect to the internet on some more limited occasions.
3. In situations with limited internet access, the gamebook is going to be able to read without internet access (as long as the chapters have been downloaded before).

Also, I have hired a designer to make new themes for the app. Right now he is doing the Medieval theme. I give you some screenshots.

Passwords to access the pages

Publicado el 20/06/2019

I’ve created a new feature for book games. Occasionally, writers will need the reader to solve some puzzle and write the solution to the puzzle. It can be a mathematical riddle, a key to find, a name to remember, etc.

You can now configure this option. To do so, go to the edit panel of the page. You will see that there is a new section called Page with password. Inside it you can configure that page to ask for a password. You must introduce a text that will be shown above the box where the reader will write the password. You can enter several correct passwords.

Apart from configuring the page, you must also configure the links that go from that page to the other pages. You will see that I have created a section called Page with password in the configuration panel of the links. There you will see that you have the option to mark the link as a password link and also if the link is correct. If you mark the link as correct, if the reader introduces one of the correct passwords, he will automatically be redirected to the page to which this link leads. If you don’t mark it as correct, the writer will be redirected to the link that you have configured if he doesn’t get the password right.

Important, you must configure two links, one with the correct password and the other with the incorrect password. If not the behavior of the game book may NOT BE NORMAL.

I have created an explanatory video where I tell you in detail how it works.

New monetization options: resurrect (1€), coins watching videos, payment chapters (1€-5€)

Publicado el 8/06/2019

New game monetization options. I’ve added several options that have appeared in conversations that have taken place in the bookgame.me forum. Some more will come, such as specific payment objects.

I explain in detail the new options available:

Resurrect after death

Now, when a character dies, a green button will appear to bring him back to life. To resurrect you must pay 1€.

You can deactivate this option in the monetization options of the gamebook.

Once a reader pays you, you will see that it appears in the summary of income of that purchase.

Watch videos to earn extra coins

In each of the stores, the character will also see a green button that, when clicking it, will display an ad and then win X coins. X is the number you set. By default it is 1 coin. I don’t recommend increasing it more.

This option can also be deactivated and configured in your panel.

Payment chapters

The users of the blog mentioned it to me when I asked them about the payment chapters. Now you can set up payment chapters. Before entering that chapter, the readers will have to pay X euros (the ones you establish).

I advise you to do that in secondary missions or alike. And, above all, only use it when you have a gamebook of enough quality. In case of reasonable complaints from the readers, their money will be refunded.

To configure a payment chapter, you must go to the chapter options.

Clarification

For the moment all these options are available to all users. I might enable some of these options only to Premium writers in the future. Premium writers will be those who are supporting with a monthly fee.

New configuration section in Bookgame.me

Publicado el 8/06/2019

I have added a new configuration section for all registered users. A link will appear in the top user menu. In this section you can perform the following actions:

1. Change your username.
2. Change your default language.
3. Set your user image. I plan to introduce this image in different sections of the website.
4. Insert fiscal addresses. This option will be important when you want to collect your rewards. I will need it to generate the self-bill.

In the future I will add more options, for example:

1. Delete your user account
2. Download your account data
3. Miscellaneous statistics

Links according to the experience of the character

Publicado el 29/05/2019

Sometimes you will be interested in your readers not being able to access certain links until they have obtained a certain experience.

This situation occurs for example in books where there is a central page from which you can go to different places in the gamebook. It is as if we were starting from one point to be able to carry out different missions. Some quests should not be available until the character has gained a certain experience. This is to prevent them from starting missions for which they are not prepared.

Now you have the option. If you go to the links options, you will see that you can introduce the experience ranges needed to access to the next page.

If you leave one of the fields blank it will work the same as long as the other one has a value. In the example above, I have made it possible for the character to access a certain link only if he has 25 or more experience points.