Planning an Interactive History? Look here first

**Motep** · 12-13-2006, 04:24

How exactly do you make one? I have been contemplating one for a while, but have no idea how to make one.

**Marshal Murat** · 12-13-2006, 04:44

1:Identify a time period
2:Identify main characters and conflict
3:Consider strategic and tactical objectives
4:Provide information on conflict and characters, objectives, conflicts, and forces to deal with conflict.
5:Provide options that can deal with a problem.

**Kraxis** · 12-13-2006, 14:52

I usually use some time thinking on a subject, something I like and find interesting (very important).
Then when I have decided I look up sources.

The writing sort of does itself in the beginning, I have thoguht so much about it that I have the first chapter in my head. But the choices people has to make might be the hardest part. You have to build into the story plausible 'forks' in the road. And each choice has to have consequences, meaning you mustn't get the same result for different choices (unless it is long term choices which you must state for the sake of people understanding).

But generally, write it as you would any short story, but give people a chance to affect how the story goes.

**Stig** · 12-13-2006, 15:18

Do good and enough research, that's important, no-one is waiting for a story that starts with William the Conqueror conquering England in 1387.
I myself use a couple of books to help me. I use "De slag bij Arnhem" to do the German movements, as they are well descriped in it. I use books as "Arnhem" by Christopher Hibbert to do the British movements you don't do ... Hibbert describes the "thinking-pattern" of the more important British leaders very well

Next to that I own some other books about the subject which help me writing it.

**Franconicus** · 12-14-2006, 09:58

Originally Posted by Marshal Murat

1:Identify a time period
2:Identify main characters and conflict
3:Consider strategic and tactical objectives
4:Provide information on conflict and characters, objectives, conflicts, and forces to deal with conflict.
5:Provide options that can deal with a problem.

If you plan to do an interactive in the classic Kraxis' style (not a multi-player stuff) then you must look for something where a small deviation in history could have started something else. It may not be too big (like Germany had a nuclear bomb in 1940), because then you loose the historical ground immediately. The outcome of the change may not be too obvious. For example if you want to rerun a historical battle and everybody knows from the book what was wrong and what would have been right, then there is no challange.

P.S.: If you cannot find the right topic or if you cannot find enough sources then discuss this topic in the Monastery. You will be surprised!

**Stig** · 12-14-2006, 11:43

Also don't over do it, you might want to start 20 IH, but it's impossible to keep up with them (atleast when you have something else to do too), I now try to write 1 chapter per week, which can be hard. If you have 5 running that will be far harder, especially when you want to write good and entertaining chapters, like Kraxis or Franconicus. Don't overdo things, stick with 1 IH and make sure that one is entirely correct, the faster you can do updates, the faster you can start a new one if you like.

**Motep** · 12-15-2006, 15:07

Thank you for the advice, it is very musch appreciated. Im in the middle of a couple interactives, and hardly have the time at the moment to start one. You will se one by me over the holidays though.