The game, twenty-fourteen, is a dictator simulator that takes about three weeks to develop. I take some of the programming work, including file system, mouse interaction, and UI logic. The file system is part of the main mechanic that has functions like grabbing and reading a file, signing a file. I also set up Big Brother’s workflow through 7 days and ensured each file had correct triggers that could change story branches. According to the initial scripts created by Luke, I made some UI sketching of a top-down view concept, considering the limited space, which was integrated with the game.

Later, in the development phase, the design of the file system was the main challenge. However, I did not notice the potential problem until after the first version prototype. The trickiest issue is that the current file system had a different concept from how the story branches, failed to take control of a single file as the dynamic story required. It was because I was not familiar with the scripts at that moment, and the lack of communication between the writer and me. Thanks to my teammates, we together figured out an efficient way to modify the logic and fit the need. This was an important lesson I learned: know my role and influence throughout a project. As a programmer in such a narrative project team, organizing the story and putting it into a straightforward structure is a primary task for me.

Another challenge is to manage the resource the player could access in the game, such as text, image, and thumbnails, and integrate it into the file system. Different types of files have unique looks and effects. As the story scripts increase, a neat and efficient data structure is of great importance. I changed it before the file system finished, saving a lot of time and effort for later development. It was also necessary to keep what I created in the project file well-organized, to make other team members easy to check out and edit. I also managed to separate the resource with the mechanic so as to allow editing game scripts for narrative design.

Given the idea of a choice-maker simulator, it was not easy as we thought. We had several discussions on the back story and interactions about how to convey the idea, and the use of metaphor, psychological cue, and the pacing of the game. We took a look at Papers, Please, and The Westport Independent, both dystopian simulator games. They use certain actions to not only build a magic circle making the player immersed, but also give the player clues and convey information in a playful way. Before we could do that, I learned that to scope down and to make the content more accessible should be prioritized before adding more details

To complete the system before enriching it is helpful. After the file system finished, it was a nice foundation, filled with different types of files, to continue adding features. I added the dialog box and button animations that somehow communicate with the player about what he could do. There is still a lot of space that this project can enrich, like to make the interaction more engaging, to create a better reading experience.