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Eudaemon
Eudaemon
Old Shoe

Mar-21-2009 00:20

Quick question for anyone who has tried and does know for sure:
For effects with multiple causes - do they only happen when all the causes are fulfilled, or once any one of the causes are fulfilled?

Based on some of the existing SMs, seems like the former, but thought I should just get a quick confirmation here first. Thanks!

Replies

Eudaemon
Eudaemon
Old Shoe

Mar-21-2009 06:26

Thanks Secret Squirrel, much appreciated!

Eudaemon
Eudaemon
Old Shoe

Mar-21-2009 09:47

As a follow-up question, can anyone suggest of some other way then of writing a scripted mystery so that an effect/twist is only unlocked after say 3 particular things are done/conditions are fulfilled, but in no particular order?

Reason is I find this one-effect-one-cause limits the storyline to a linear flow from the solver perspective which is a little boring. ie. Do A, unlocks B, do B, unlocks C, do C, ...solve ending etc.

The only workaround I could think of is if one effect unlocks a question for a suspect, while another effect reveals the suspect (so you need both causes to get the question, but in no particular order). But this technique is restricted to such specific case only, and doesn't really meet my needs. So hoping someone else more experienced might have a solution.

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Mar-21-2009 13:52

Since I don't do FM's, I'm not an expert here, but regular cases work on basically a linear format (A leads to B, which when done, will lead to C, and so forth). SOM was designed to be much more of a circular format (like what you're looking for), which is why mysteries there take so much longer to process and solve. A does not always lead to B, let alone C. A can lead to W, and then to F (I know, it's a strange world over there ;-).

Do I have any idea how your question would work? Nope, not a clue. Squirrel, Ani, or Ms. Helen may know better than I, but I thought I'd throw out that little bit of programming knowledge that I do know (courtesy of Sleuthcon I).

And everyone thought I was asleep for that lecture the whole time. Silly people. ;-D

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

Mar-21-2009 18:55

Linear yes. There's no way for it not to be linear. It's a path A > B > C >

but you can use 'dead ends' where C > D & E where E leads nowhere.

and you can use twists to lock off characters mid story & mid-questioning, so you have to do a whole heap of other things before you can get back to that character and ask him/her the question you wanted to ask her.

and you can use disposable characters that you can kill off to create plot changes as well.

experiment.

Eudaemon
Eudaemon
Old Shoe

Mar-22-2009 01:33

Thanks SS again, for confirming the storyboard only allows for a linear plot. It's alright then, guess I'll just have to figure out some workaround to give the illusion of multiple causes/non-linear flow. Your suggestions are good, I'll see if I can use them to help in my case. My SM is almost done, hope you are also able to help me look through and edit it after I submit in a day or two, thanks!

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