~ Do they enhance the story or do you like them at all?
I mean, structurally itās a good way to make money for Episode. Itās not that much more work (for some featured storiesā¦ thereās likeā¦ no extra workā¦ but thatās an exception) and the app receives like a dollar or more per choice. So from a money perspective itās 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) āGems: Use the video youāve already madeā or āI over did itā¦ letās 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. (Iāll 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 donāt actually work and lowkey only one person has told me so far ahahah XD and Iām too lazy to fix the story right now. The reason for this is thereās 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 itās weird. I also deleted the āyour deathā because I didnāt 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 āTalk to Ezra (Riley >0)ā āDonāt talk to Ezraā " Talk to Ezra" - so, if you have a high enough āRileyā relationship, you can view this seen. If you donāt, then you donāt 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 donāt want to loose points by fleeing.
Now when I said, completely disregard what I said before - Iām kind of saying, do what I say, not what I do because I did design the above gem choices with the possibility to āskipā 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, Iām always always always going to give the option for sexuality and romance amount. Iāve 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 itās 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 Iāll 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 Iām going to think about this. (is this a trick question?) . . .