A world that reacts¶
A response can do more than deliver a line. It can change the scene, and that change can make a different story moment possible next time.
Here is a small campfire example: the player reaches a cold camp at night, finds dry wood and lights the fire.
Keep the world's facts in one place¶
Use Game Creator variables or existing conditions for:
- It is night.
- The campfire is lit.
- The player has dry wood.
Those facts should also drive the rest of the game. Avoid creating a second, conflicting version of "fire is lit" just for dialogue.
Make the fire-lighting Rule safe¶
Create a Rule in category Camp/Fire, at Normal priority.
Mandatory Criteria: it is night, the fire is not lit, and the player has dry wood.
Instructions: consume the wood using your game's item setup, enable the fire's visuals and sound, set the lit fact to true, then play the response you want.
Every fact needed by that action is mandatory. A high score should never allow the Rule to consume an item the player does not have.
Add sensible alternatives¶
| Rule | Required facts | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Need some wood | Night, fire unlit, no dry wood | Suggest looking for fuel |
| Room by the fire | Fire lit | Offer a quiet line or a resting interaction |
| A cold camp in daylight | Daytime, fire unlit | Describe the camp without lighting it |
Ask the Director when the player interacts with the campfire. The next interaction will see the updated facts and can choose a different Rule.
Let other characters notice¶
Give a nearby companion a separate request category, such as Companion/Camp. Their Rules can read the same lit fact but also check their own story history or relationship conditions.
If a character must notice the change immediately, call the Director for that reaction at the appropriate point in your sequence. A variable change by itself does not ask for a response.
Leave a route back¶
Try the interaction with and without wood, after the fire is already lit and after loading a saved game. Make sure repeat requests cannot consume another item or undo progress unintentionally.
Crossroads Outpost shows a sequence of world-changing responses. Market Adventure adds characters with their own knowledge and a repairable power failure.