Super Author Simulator 2023

RootBound · Sat 21/10/2023 20:51:15

Hello all! Here's my newest game, an entry for this month's MAGS contest.

SUPER AUTHOR SIMULATOR 2023

DOWNLOAD HERE:
https://rootbound.itch.io/super-author-simulator-2023

AGS DATABASE ENTRY HERE (please leave a rating if you play it!):
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2702-super-author-simulator-2023/

Can you make it to 500,00 words without losing your sanity--or your payday? Can you brave the finishing of abandoned chapters with random openings? Can you bear the heartless feedback of a condescending literary agent?

With all these drawbacks and almost no benefits, why would anyone ever want to be an author? It's baffling. At the end of the day, it may be that only a clever combination of hard perseverance and supernatural power-ups can save you. Maybe just the supernatural power-ups, to be honest.

Made by me and playtested by @Nahuel . Also uses NormRnd module by @eri0o and Shuffler module by @Gurok .

FEATURES:

-Short or long playtime, depending on your endurance

-Random chapter prompts combined from strange sentence parts

-Fun and dangerous power-ups

-The ability to export the wacky things you'll end up writing

-Endless screaming

-The dulcet tones of Antonio Vivialdi

Have fun! Or don't! You've been warned!

CaptainD · Sun 22/10/2023 10:27:02

What a great idea! Definitely want to give this one a try.

CaptainD · Wed 25/10/2023 14:55:01

Well...

RootBound · Wed 25/10/2023 16:16:57

@CaptainD Looks like your embedded images aren't showing up for some reason. I only realized they were there when I tried to quote-reply and saw the links.

EDIT: AHA! They show up on my phone but not the laptop. Congratulations on reaching both endings!

I'm impressed you reached an ending with only 11 chapters. Did you

Spoiler

find the cheat code?

[close]

CaptainD · Wed 25/10/2023 17:08:16

Quote from: RootBound on Wed 25/10/2023 16:16:57I'm impressed you reached an ending with only 11 chapters. Did you
Spoiler
find the cheat code?
[close]

Spoiler

I'm not entirely sure? Probably not. I did find that a word only needed to be a letter so that let me rack up the words quickly initially. I built up enough words to quickly double-ghost write to get >10,000 words as soon as possible. Then I accidentally hadn't left myself enough to play with so I sold my soul to the devil just to see what happened!

[close]

RootBound · Wed 25/10/2023 18:14:39

Ah, I see!

Spoiler

No, that's not the cheat code. It was originally put in for testing but I left it in for fun. The only way to find it is to try random keys, and once you do, you can win any time you want.

[close]

heltenjon · Fri 27/10/2023 14:41:40

I found the same two good (?) endings the Captain did, plus the losing ending. Please tell me there isn't one for typing it all in without the dangerous powerup.

It's a great idea, and the humorous powerups are worth seeing, but frankly the keyboard bashing I could have done without. I would rather have the first powerup make the monkey do all the typing for me.

RootBound · Fri 27/10/2023 15:51:44

@heltenjon There's no difference between typing it all in by hand versus using the power-ups. It would be the same ending.

As far as keyboard bashing, I was hoping the randomly-combined chapter openings would be interesting or absurd enough that people might actually have fun using them as writing prompts (hence the export button if the player writes something worth keeping).

But it does basically turn into Cookie Clicker. Maybe I should have made the power-ups slightly cheaper and faster to achieve? $:-\$

CaptainD · Fri 27/10/2023 22:15:48

Quote from: RootBound on Fri 27/10/2023 15:51:44As far as keyboard bashing, I was hoping the randomly-combined chapter openings would be interesting or absurd enough that people might actually have fun using them as writing prompts (hence the export button if the player writes something worth keeping).

I did do that for the first 3 or 4 chapters, but quickly realised that the game would take me about as long to complete as writing a real novel - and that's still something I've never managed to do!

RootBound · Sun 29/10/2023 20:47:57

Hey all, I'm thinking of doing a version 1.1 once MAGS is done. The general consensus seems to be that the gameplay could be significantly more fun.

@Creamy @heltenjon @CaptainD since you all have played it (and thank you very much for doing so and for commenting), I'd be grateful for any more thoughts. What do you think of the following?

1. Change monkey powerup to give 1 word/second per monkey.
2. Increase frequency of bonuses for number chapters completed.
3. Potentially add another powerup. (I'm not sure what it would do though).

I feel like this might shorten the keyboard bashing.

Anything else you think could be tweaked to make it more enjoyable? Which powerups had the longest stretch of repetition between them?

Thanks in advance for any additional feedback you might have. I very much value it.

Creamy · Sun 29/10/2023 21:55:52

QuoteI did do that for the first 3 or 4 chapters, but quickly realised that the game would take me about as long to complete as writing a real novel - and that's still something I've never managed to do!

Exactly. With the word count and time limit, it quickly turns into a math exercise rather than a literary one - which I thought was a neat idea. Inferring that the game can't check what you write and that typing 1-letter words spares you time was a kind of puzzle in itself

QuoteAs far as keyboard bashing, I was hoping the randomly-combined chapter openings would be interesting or absurd enough that people might actually have fun using them as writing prompts (hence the export button if the player writes something worth keeping).

No way. You stop playing by the rules as soon as you balance your productivity and the given objectives.

Quote1. Change monkey powerup to give 1 word/second per monkey.
2. Increase frequency of bonuses for number chapters completed.
3. Potentially add another powerup. (I'm not sure what it would do though).

1 - The time limit was only a concern when I actually tried to write something. After that, it didn't matter.
2 and 3 - Sure. When you cheat the game gets monotonous. Anything that lowers the difficulty and renews the gameplay is a good idea. Maybe add a mini-game to copy-paste someone else's work?

RootBound · Sun 29/10/2023 22:54:27

@Creamy thanks very much, that's helpful.

CaptainD · Mon 30/10/2023 09:41:03

I kind of like the idea of a power up where you get a monkey to type for you. Each monkey you get would add a small number of words per turn. Not sure if you could ever reach "infinite monkeys" but...

heltenjon · Mon 30/10/2023 11:02:32

First of all, it's a MAGS game, so don't worry if it's not perfect in all regards.

I think I would have liked the monkeys to do the typing, too. For instance, 3 monkeys could manage to produce the same amount of words the player did, either in his last turn or his all time high. (They can ape the writing.)

The powerup giving words for mouse clicks isn't all that helpful, as the player will score 3 or 4 times as much by bashing the keyboard before filling the page.

When I played, I saved before the final powerup, just to be able to see all the effects. Once I got the one giving points every second, I went and did something else, and came back to see the ending.

Gilbert · Mon 30/10/2023 11:20:34

If you make an updated version, just call it Super Author Simulator 2024 and pretend that it's a new game.
Everyone does that. Every sport game series does that.

CaptainD · Mon 30/10/2023 12:30:31

Quote from: heltenjon on Mon 30/10/2023 11:02:32The powerup giving words for mouse clicks isn't all that helpful, as the player will score 3 or 4 times as much by bashing the keyboard before filling the page.

Yeah, this is true. Although once you reach a high enough multiplier it's still kinda faster only having to use the mouse and not combination of mouse/keyboard. Or at least more convenient.

Quote from: Gilbert on Mon 30/10/2023 11:20:34If you make an updated version, just call it Super Author Simulator 2024 and pretend that it's a new game.
Everyone does that. Every sport game series does that.

Absolutely!

Also one question @RootBound - just out of curiosity.

Spoiler

Does the "power-up" for making your agent only say nice things to you actually do anything, or is it purely aesthetic?

[close]

RootBound · Mon 30/10/2023 15:02:38

@CaptainD

Spoiler

I wanted one of the demon's options to be totally superficial and practically useless,
because it adds the possibility of there being a "wrong answer" in terms of game gain.

[close]

Everyone else, thanks so much for your comments!

Getting any kind of engagement with the work is so energizing.