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Oct-1-2007 22:32

Hello, everyone! I'm me! :)

Ha ha. I noticed, somewhere, that they try to release scripted mysteries once a month. That's only 12 a year! I intend to try and make it two a month. I am currently writing (In my other profile) 3 mysteries. Once I come up with an idea, I get about halfway through, by writing all the big stuff.

The questions and stuff are harder. The point is, they're coming. Now, the point of this thread is to tell you I'm here. :) The second, and more important, I'd like your help. Let's keep writer's-block away, and throw in some ideas for them! I'll choose the good ones, and start writing them!

Okay, I've made this kind of like a speech, so, sorry about that. But, I'll reward you! I'll mention your name, that you gave the idea. Scripted mysteries are better than random, we all probably agree on that. So, let's keep making them!

Just one little request: Keep this thread spam-free. It's easier if I don't have to sift through a whole lot of spam to find the ideas.

Well, there you go! So, start-a-brainstorming!

P.S. I'll be posting in both profiles here, so I'll mention who I am when I do. Thanks!

Oct-2-2007 04:45

I believe that statement about releasing mysteries once a month was made when the FM-maker still wasn't available.

Here's one I play around with in my mind but I myself am probably not going to write.

SleuthCon 2020: Alt. SleuthCon FM
All the most wellknown sleuths (top 11 say) have gathered in one city for a big party.
As the toast is raised for the host SleuthAdmin, he falls down dead. For some reason yet to be determined it is quickly deduced that of the sleuths had to be the killer. Fun, fun, glorious fun!

Twist 1: The Townies refuse to talk from the get-go. They'll only talk if they're your contact. So you have to ask the appropriate sleuth to check with their townies. Except of course that you've got questions available for all the townies with all the sleuths and you know that you've got a limited number of questions for each sleuth.

So you actually need to check their profiles in order to not waste any questions.

Note that your own contacts still won't be claming up on you. (just how the game works and all in all the way it should work for this FM anyway)
Therefore all the townies still need to have their alibi and PE questions even though they'll clam for nothing.

Twist 2: if you ask a sleuth to identify PE/Alibi for you they'll check with their contact and tell you a name/Real or false BUT it shouldn't be confirmed in the case because they might lie. The object of this FM afterall should be identify who's lying and why. 'Cause one sleuth may just be covering for someone else (and not necessarily because the other sleuth is guilty)

Oct-2-2007 04:45

The reasons why I'm not quite ready to do this one myself are:
1) I should ask for permission from sleuths to use them and that's a lot of permission (also if Ben doesn't want to be in it....)
2) Since the best version of this probably would be using normal PE and Alibis that can be identified normally, whoever would be lucky enough to have the right 2 contacts would just sail through it. (Not a good solution)

Any feasible solution wherein you couldn't possibly have both contacts would be to use 2 PE contacts with both the PE and the alibi or 2 Witness contacts with a new type of PE and an alibi. So at least 2 normal PEs and two newType PEs preferably lifted from the Shades of Mystery PEs and set with Witness Townies that make sense.
(I've only seen key, gun, handprint, cigar and lipstick so far. None of which immediately lend themselves to the normal townies)

Oh yeah, Twist 3: Ben's not really dead. It was all a set-up merely to amuse the guests. The "Guilty" party was in on it.

All in all, it's a doable and fun mystery but it would be a task to make.

Oct-2-2007 09:27

LOL!!! That's a good one. Also it's an AI mystery. I think I will write it, but I may change that storyline a bit. This will be very complicated, but I'll try. You definatly won't see it soon.

Oct-2-2007 11:51

yeah well, it's a fun idea and all. I have another one I'm working on now which I want to finnish before I take on any others.

This is kind of one of the least likely that's all. If I would write it, it would be kind of bland. The writer needs to capture the speech patterns that go with the sleuths they are using. One way of course would be to send a script with what needs to be said to each sleuth and they themselves can write the lines the way they would have said them.

Another reason I'm giving it away.

Oct-2-2007 13:36

Why don't we send each other scripts? I'll send the one that is almost finished, and you send the one your working on, k?

Oct-3-2007 15:21

Lol! My alter-ego! I'm me too!

(Yes, I did set myself up for that one! :-) )

Oct-11-2007 12:12

You could also start with some simpler ideas:
It's this old lady in the country-side that you know. Actually it's your aunt. And, being such a marvoluos sleuth, you visit her to help her find her cat, that have been gone for a week.
As you visit her, you first get a instant twist which tells about the cat-searching, introducing some people that live in the neighbourhood of your aunt.
The second is also a twist, which was released of the first, and this time, the murer have happened. Or, is it a murder? Well, that's up to the writer to decide. It's one of your aunt's contacts, that was revealed during twist 1. At least, he is gone, and his house is empty but tidy, and they find coffe almost ready made, and a cake in the oven (the people found it right before the cake was totally black, and the coffe disappeared in the kettle). But the guy is gone. And, this is next day and he is still gone, and that is suspicious since he is a very tidy person.
You start searching and asking the people you know, and some more suspects are revealed during your process (but not everyone of course...)
Then after you have asked a specific person (unknown to the sleuth of course), another twist is introduced where the cat comes with .... something.... and that reveals questions that can help release some more suspects....
Well, at least this is a possible start. The idea has to be filled in with more text and information, but it's what it is, just an idea. :-)
If you want the idea, just take it. I don't have time doing the scripted mysteries... (I tried to start one, but realized that if I am to write a game, I will do it in another language and setting)

Oct-11-2007 12:33

Beware of oversimplifying the story to much, it's got to be fun to play in the end!!!

Oct-12-2007 03:23

Also be aware that the mystery demands a name and an age to the murdered/missing person. After the intro, you get deposited in the case tab where that name and age are proudly displayed.

Your two first twists would have to be the intro and crime scene for it to make sense. You could still "visit" people in the intro. But as it is, you are forced to start the mystery as soon as you leave that intro.

The idea itself is interesting and VERY general. One could easily put it up for a challenge and wind up with every contestant having written widely different stories. Which wouldn't be a bad idea actually. The judges would have to be invited to the SMs and a nifty prize could be given out...

I'm thinking a watch would be best!

Oct-12-2007 11:18

Well, all I did was actually some kind of brain-storming. It was not meant to be the total of a mystery, or something I would claim copyright on. It was just to try to open a door or two into something that might give ideas for the one or sevral that found something behind that doors. I don't know all the things that was behind those doors. There will be a need for another creative mind to find out.
My experience though is that when an idea or two is thrown, someone else will find it easier to continue on the idea, and even end up with something totally different.