Sometimes, I dream of making a chart, of mapping the twists and turns of this game and assembling it into some kind of massive abstract piece of art. This is a dream I have with most of my projects; as if by cogitating upon a visual representation of their structure, I could elucidate some hidden meaning that would dramatically improve the finished product.

Role-playing adventure design at its most basic is a lot like party planning. You have to consider the movement of the guests, I mean players, the effect of the space, and the timing of events within the party – sorry, game – as a whole.

Game design doesn't exist in a vacuum.  Neither do game designers, come to think of it; we enjoyed all the pleasures of food, water, and air. But seriously, not wouldn't be here without my experiences with great text and role-playing adventures of the past. Choose Your Own Adventure books are obviously the biggest influence on this genre, but I want to call out a couple recent games I've been playing, and their impact on Nocked's development: Dragon Age: Inquisition , and Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt .

What goes into the title of a game? Why Nocked! True Tales of Robin Hood? That's an easy answer. Witcher 3 was already taken.