Conversation: Gem Choices

So many feature stories (maybe all) have multiple gem choices.
What do you think about gem choices?
Do they enhance the story or do you like them at all?
As a writer would you use gem choices in your story? Why?
Do you think more gem choices results in more readers?

Let me know!

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First of all,

I donā€™t really like reading featured stories with gems, why you ask? Well sis iā€™m not going to save up 30 gems just so I can use 25 of them on one choice and on the other choices be sad as hell
So NO i donā€™t like them but yes I do think it makes you have more readers. But i wonā€™t add them in my story because hell no sis.

Love, Iqra

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The exact same thing happened to me and I got so mad.

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Thatā€™s true! It takes so long to save of gems and some of the choices are just too expensive.

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Every time that happens, I keep trying to watch a new story so I can get some diamonds, but then I get attached to that story, and then I have to have diamonds for that, so Iā€™m sticking and to stories that donā€™t have diamonds

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What do you think about gem choices?
Not a fan tbh :expressionless:

Do they enhance the story or do you like them at all?
Most of the time, Iā€™m left feeling disappointed with the outcome. Iā€™ll admit a few have been worth it, but maybe just not for the price I paid.

As a writer would you use gem choices in your story? Why?
I could never! Iā€™d seem like such a sell out.

Do you think more gem choices results in more readers?
Pretty sure it has the opposite effect. I know a lot of people would give up on a user story that started using gems.

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If they want us to use gems choices, then they should give us a 1000 gems

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truešŸ˜‚

Moved to Episode Fan Community since this is about an Episode-related topic. Make sure to check out our Forum Tutorial for more info about where to correctly create topics, and feel to PM me if there are any questions. :wink:

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~ What do I think about gem choices?
I agree with whatā€™s been said before, that they are really highly priced- for the featured stories. Awhile back I was going to read stories with gem choices (like Eliseā€™s Hit & Run) which I kinda forgot about so this thread reminded me that I need to read some stories with gem choices- but at the same time I think I had a glitch where I couldnā€™t see user gem choices? Right, back to topic. In user stories (I keep in mind that the price is not up to the author) I know that the authors wonā€™t just give you a meh scene for your gems. Saying this, I disliked hearing that authors would ask at the end of an episode to support by spending gems at the end of an episode, and they would only get a thank you. I was reading some other story where you received an extra scene at the end for spending gems if the reader didnā€™t make enough points. I think is better than just a thank you, but itā€™s still a bitā€¦ weak?


Iā€™m running late for school - iā€™ll be back :slight_smile:

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What do you think about gem choices?
In featured stories? Iā€™m not a fan. Usually theyā€™re included in such a way that youā€™re shamed if you donā€™t choose them or you feel like youā€™re missing out if you donā€™t choose them.
In user stories? It depends how theyā€™re used, but I like when authors use them for things like maximising your points. I like when gem choices are used to give you something that you could have gotten without money if youā€™d made the correct choice (if that makes sense?).

Do they enhance the story or do you like them at all?
There have been quite a few times where Iā€™ve had gems and actually bought choices only to feel like I wasted my gems.

As a writer would you use gem choices in your story? Why?
I have and I will in the future. I use gems for readers to pick up points that theyā€™ve lost, maximise their points, get reminders etc. You will never need gems to get the best endings but those options will basically help people who previously made incorrect choices or who canā€™t remember the clues lol.

Do you think more gem choices results in more readers?
Like Amberose, I think it has the opposite effect depending on how itā€™s used. There was one user story that I started reading and I felt like I had to spend gems to enjoy her story so I quit.

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You may be talking about my story here! I mean, maybe not only mine, others may use this format too, but I think I was one of the first. In my story Bound to the Lust Demon it works like that. Every choice that isnā€™t a romantic or story altering choice gives you a chapter point. If you have enough chapter points you can view a scene that enhances your story. If you donā€™t the option to pay gems to see it pops up. I didnā€™t think of it as weak at the time as I have used the format in the past, minus gems, and a lot of readers didnā€™t know they were missing bonus scenes and wanted to know how to get them. The gem option just seemed a natural progression. As they were always intended to be rewards. Many readers complained about there being gems, but since they were not necessary scenes those who would never use gems ignored and were excited when they unlocked one on their own. And those who did pay for the scenes seemed to really like them! I have yet to have a single reader who paid tell me it wasnā€™t worth it.

But! Onto the discussion.

What do you think about gem choices?
I dislike them in featured stories. Youā€™re pressured into them and you donā€™t get anything out of it. Not even a scene worth of extra content for upwards of 3 dollars US :speak_no_evil:
Do they enhance the story or do you like them at all?
In featured stories, no. In user stories that follow different implement practices, yes. User stories with gem choices are written by writers who know what would make them pay.
As a writer would you use gem choices in your story? Why?
I use them in 2 of my stories. In Fragile Bonds they pop up when you miss out on bonus scenes, when your choices have lead you have less points than needed to get a more desired outcome (ex. You want to go on a date with x but you donā€™t have enough points).
In Bound to the Lust Demon they appear only at the end of each chapter and lead to bonus scenes. These scenes help you figure out a characterā€™s real motives or see full scenes from mentioned past occurrences.
Ultimately I am using gem choices as a stepping stone to get paid. Thatā€™s the honest truth. I canā€™t justify writing on here the way I want for free. I want to write on here everyday, but in busy adult life that canā€™t happen.
Do you think more gem choices results in more readers?
No. If used in the Episode Model they turn readers away. Pay money to kiss a guy? Pay money to wear a gift? No! But pay money so I donā€™t have to reread and get the ending I want? Iā€™m here for that.

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Yes! I think it was your story xD ā€” and thatā€™s awesome to hear that readers havenā€™t complained about the scenes being weak / not worth it. Thatā€™s def a huge worry I have.

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~ Do they enhance the story or do you like them at all?

I mean, structurally itā€™s a good way to make money for Episode. Itā€™s not that much more work (for some featured storiesā€¦ thereā€™s likeā€¦ no extra workā€¦ but thatā€™s an exception) and the app receives like a dollar or more per choice. So from a money perspective itā€™s a legit scam but it works. (Kinda like ice cream toppings, which are like 5cents to make, and cost 1dollar - but I just had to have those extra oreos on my already oreo ice-cream.) I dislike choices that are like (from Haute Hell? idk) ā€œGems: Use the video youā€™ve already madeā€ or ā€œI over did itā€¦ letā€™s just redo itā€ Now, this is the type of question that upsets me because 1) The MC was already going to make it into the show (or else there would be no story) ā€” 2) The MC ALREADY made the video - like, for the first choice a reader sees, this was really infuriating. I like how @HumanBean described how gem choices are like rewards - not necessities for a good story. I think gem choices (can be, and should be) good way to enhance the story without making them a necessity.

~ As a Author, would you include gem choices in your story?

So, haha, this is kinda where I disregard everything I said as I added choices in one story - and they are going to be in every one of my new stories because I am determined to get into the writers program. (Iā€™ll explain in more detail for those who are reading)

I have one published story with gem choices - but the best part is - the gem choices donā€™t actually work and lowkey only one person has told me so far ahahah XD and Iā€™m too lazy to fix the story right now. The reason for this is thereā€™s a max of two gem choices in a story- though the reader only sees one, I coded it in four times. Like I know how to fix it, but uhhh so much coding. PRETENDING I was not lazy and fixed it- the gems would be to revive a teammate who died or you who died. I did it like 3 in a row bad choices caused your death (you had five lives, spending gems would add five lives). I think I did two in a row teammate death, but itā€™s weird. I also deleted the ā€˜your deathā€™ because I didnā€™t have time to code it.

Right, but with my other unpub stories I have two gem choices per episode which seems like alot, but you have to let me explain. I was definitely inspired by Humanbean and other stories which had a point system to unlock hidden scenes but since I code RPGs rather than stories I choose a different way to code in gem choices. An example is a choice with three options ā€œTalk to Ezra (Riley >0)ā€ ā€œDonā€™t talk to Ezraā€ " Talk to Ezra" - so, if you have a high enough ā€˜Rileyā€™ relationship, you can view this seen. If you donā€™t, then you donā€™t or you can spend gems to view this scene. I also give the reader an option to skip scenes with gems (like battles) if they are having difficulty and donā€™t want to loose points by fleeing.

Now when I said, completely disregard what I said before - Iā€™m kind of saying, do what I say, not what I do because I did design the above gem choices with the possibility to ā€œskipā€ the gem choices, I did not do this for two choices and they are very different and special. In any story I publish from now on, Iā€™m always always always going to give the option for sexuality and romance amount. Iā€™ve talked about this alot, but I support where you are the one that has to make the chance you want to see in the Episode App, and in my case itā€™s stories that have the option to pick sexuality / pick gender which I include in most stories I publish from now on ā€” (side note, I really like to talk about my stories lol. I need to tone it down - starting tomorrow) ā€” Long story short, I include a gem choice for people who want 6 love interests (1 free, 2 free, 3 free)- I lowkey would never ever spend gems on a choice like that, but some people want romance (even in a fantasy story D:) so BAM TAKE IT. The other choice is similar and like heavily effects the outcome of your story and I know Iā€™ll get so much hate for it, but like, I think I made my gem choices really fair so they can fight me.

~ Do you think gem choices results in more readers

My first answer would be no, but Iā€™m going to think about this. (is this a trick question?) . . .

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Personally I donā€™t like stories with diamonds because the better choice are always the one with diamonds. Itā€™s like they donā€™t want us to choice them and by ā€œthemā€ I mean the choice with diamonds
What do you think? :slightly_smiling_face:

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I toally agree, I mean, in Episode featured stories I understand the use of diamonds and stuff, because is one way to make money, but in user stories itā€™s unnecessary. Either way, I usually donā€™t read stories with diamonds, it makes me angry most of the times because I never have enough diamonds to make decent choices hahah :grin:

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I dont like it either.

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