Choices, Conditions, and Variables

Choices, Conditions, and Variables

This is the core logic system that makes your story interactive. Understanding how these three elements work together is key to creating a dynamic and branching narrative.

Variables

Variables are your story's memory. They are simple boolean (true/false) flags that you can use to track anything you want.

• Examples: has_key, is_poisoned, player_is_trusted.

Managing Variables: Click the {...} icon above the "Add Choice" button to open the Variable Manager. Here you can add new variables and delete existing ones.

Choices

Choices are the options presented to the player. When a player clicks a choice, it triggers an Action.

Adding a Choice: Click the round + button at the bottom of the Choices list in the Scene Editor.

Configuring a Choice Action: Each choice has a text field and a dropdown menu.

1. Button Text: What the player reads on the button.
2. Action Dropdown: What happens when the button is clicked.
   • Go to Scene: Select a scene ID from the list. The player will be navigated to that scene.
   • Set Variable: Select a variable from the list. A second dropdown will appear, allowing you to set the variable to True or False.

Silent Actions: If you leave the "Button Text" field empty, the choice becomes a silent action. It will execute its action automatically as soon as the scene loads, without displaying a button. This is useful for setting a variable upon entering a scene (e.g., setting has_visited_town to True).

Conditions

Conditions are rules that determine whether a choice is visible to the player.

Adding a Condition: Click the fork icon (<--) on the left side of a choice editor. This will reveal the condition builder UI.

Configuring a Condition: A condition is a simple "If... Is..." statement.

1. If Dropdown: Choose what to check.
   • Variable: Select one of your defined variables.
   • Scene (Visited?): Select a scene ID to check if the player has visited it before.
2. Is Dropdown: Choose the required state.
   • True
   • False

Example Use Cases:

• Scenario: A door can only be opened if the player has a key.

  • Variable: has_key (defaults to false).
  • Choice on another scene: "Pick up the old key." -> Action: Set has_key to True.
  • Choice at the door: "Unlock the door with the key." -> Condition: If [has_key] Is [True]. This choice will only appear after the player has picked up the key.

• Scenario: A character gives different dialogue if you've already met their boss.

  • Choice with the boss: "Talk to the boss." -> leads to scene boss_office.
  • Choice with the character: "Heard you were looking for me." -> Condition: If [boss_office] (Visited?) Is [True].
  • Another choice with the character: "Who are you?" -> Condition: If [boss_office] (Visited?) Is [False].